Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: 16. Kairin's Treasure (1)
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1.
An unnamed remote island.
Ever since it had become Eagle Eye's grave, not even passersby had come near the place.
Now, it was packed with people.
And these weren't just any people.
"Anything around us?"
"Nothing."
They were all armed to the teeth, scanning their surroundings with sharp eyes, on high alert.
At the center of them all stood a single pirate flag.
A skull—the pirate flag's symbol—with an emerald-green gem drawn in its eye socket.
Captain Kairin!
It was her flag.
Naturally, no one paid any attention to the island where her pirate flag flew.
That was the first rule you had to follow to survive in the vast ocean world.
"Don't drop your guard."
"Yes, sir."
There was only one reason they had come here.
"Until Golden Eye arrives."
To protect Kairin's disciple.
"Yes, Mr. Murat."
To that end, Kairin had even sent Murat—one of her executives who had unlocked the 6th Circle.
From a normal perspective, it was excessive protection.
Murat knew that.
'This won't be easy.'
But he had come all this way anyway, which meant the place ahead was that dangerous.
It meant there was a high chance of trouble.
That's why Murat was here.
'The Black Mage's followers might try something.'
Murat knew the Black Mage's followers were hiding throughout the world, plotting something.
'They're everywhere.'
It was in that moment, when vigilance was essential from every angle.
"People are coming out of the portal!"
Figures emerged from beyond the Mystic Gate.
The Nautilus's crew.
"It's Miner!"
And as Miner finally appeared, the gathered crowd erupted in cheers.
"She conquered Eagle Eye's Tomb!"
Something no one else had ever done—Kairin's disciple had pulled it off!
But Murat was different.
He could hear it.
'Miner's heartbeat...'
There was no thrill of victory, no ecstasy, no joy at all in it right now.
"Hey, those guys are alive?"
Just then, El Pam made his appearance.
No one among the surrounding pirates paid him any mind.
They all thought the same.
'Miner got her a title out of it.'
'Lucky bastard.'
They figured El Pam had survived thanks to Miner and her crew.
That was common sense.
But Murat was different.
He was certain.
The one who had conquered Eagle Eye's Tomb was none other than El Pam.
In truth, it wasn't all that surprising.
He had half-expected it. That's why he had even arranged for negotiations with him.
Even so, Murat couldn't help but be shocked now.
'No excitement at all.'
Even after this monumental achievement, El Pam's heartbeat remained utterly cold.
"Mr. Murat."
El Pam—the one with that frigid heartbeat—approached and spoke to him.
"I want to spend some coins."
2.
In the past, ranking adventurers had been incredibly difficult.
But with the advent of the Mystic Gate, things changed.
Whoever conquered higher-grade Mystic Gates—that was how you ranked adventurers.
Captain Kairin was ranked 6th.
That was no small feat.
In a Maple World overflowing with adventurers, it meant she was one of the top ten powerhouses.
It meant even catching a glimpse of her was a rarity.
"El Pam."
And now, such a figure stood before him.
Her stunning beauty was enough to draw gasps, golden hair topped with a pirate hat, green eyes like flawless emeralds fixed on El Pam.
But there was no warmth in her gaze.
"I'm grateful you helped Miner."
She expressed thanks, but her eyes remained ice-cold.
That was no ordinary reaction.
Captain Kairin—a 7th Circle adventurer!
One of the absolute top adventurers in the world right now.
She was also the leader of the pirates filling the Nautilus to the brim. A terrifying woman who could send anyone to the ocean floor at a moment's notice.
In fact, she had more than a few bloody deeds to her name.
El Pam knew.
'She's got tens of thousands of kills on her hands.'
She was a massive murderer.
That's why El Pam trusted her.
'She wiped out the Black Mage's followers.'
Right now, she was one of the few he could rely on.
Of course, that was just El Pam's view. From Kairin's perspective, he was nothing but suspicious.
It meant they could never form a deep bond.
And El Pam had no intention of doing so with her either.
Kairin was trustworthy, but the Nautilus organization was not.
'She ended up murdered by them as payment.'
The Black Mage's followers had already infiltrated deep into the Nautilus.
So there was only one thing El Pam could do here.
"I want to spend some coins."
'Just wrap up the deal.'
Stick to what they had agreed on beforehand.
Kairin could guess El Pam's intentions, and for her, it was convenient.
The best outcome here was simply paying him for saving her disciple.
"Three coins."
Paying up wasn't hard.
"One coin per item—something like that?"
Kairin had conquered countless Mystic Gates, so she had plenty of items to spare. Handing over three wouldn't even make a dent.
"I'll take one item for all three coins."
Of course, El Pam wasn't here for some trivial throwaway item.
And Kairin wasn't surprised by his counteroffer.
It was a reasonable choice.
Adventurers couldn't use every item they had just because they owned a ton.
If you had three Circles, you were limited to three skills at once. More than that was impossible.
El Pam was a perfect example.
In battle, he typically used just three spells.
When casting Fire Arrow, Telekinesis, and Clairvoyance, he couldn't add any others.
No point in hoarding a bunch.
"So what do you want? Got something in mind?"
That's why Kairin stayed calm.
Even if he asked for a unique item, she could afford it.
"Give me a ring."
"What kind?"
"Give me Fried's Ring."
El Pam shattered her calm.
3.
Fried.
No one alive didn't know that name.
The great archmage who unlocked the 9th Circle. Companion to Aphrien, king of the Onyx Dragons. Creator of time magic.
"Everyone in the Maple World should be grateful to the great archmage Fried. If he hadn't sealed the Black Mage, the Maple World would be gone."
The one who gathered the Six Heroes and sealed the Black Mage.
"He was great."
A truly great name.
That was why.
"No one has inherited the legacy of that great archmage Fried yet."
Adventurers around the world coveted Fried's legacy.
And not just covet—it was more than that.
Plenty of adventurers made obtaining Fried's legacy their ultimate goal.
And Fried was great enough to warrant such ambitions.
Finding his legacy wasn't just about striking it rich—it was about uncovering his will, the traces of that great hero.
But in all these years, only one had found it: Pyr, the Hero Tracker from twenty years ago.
"Give me Fried's Ring."
And now, El Pam was demanding that legacy—from none other than Captain Kairin.
Her eyes narrowed at that.
She didn't bother lying here.
'He knows.'
El Pam knew that telling him she didn't have Fried's Ring wouldn't fly.
No escaping with a pointless lie.
In the end, there was only one answer she could give.
"That's off-limits. I can't give it. I'm just holding onto it temporarily."
Explain why she couldn't hand it over.
El Pam wasn't disappointed by the response.
'Figured as much.'
He had never planned on actually getting Fried's Ring.
'Even if she gave it, I couldn't use it.'
He knew she wouldn't, and honestly, it was useless to him.
'Only someone approved by Fried can use it.'
So why had El Pam brought up Fried's Ring?
"Is that so?"
"Pick something else."
"Sorry, but aside from Fried's Ring, I don't know what you have."
"Yeah?"
Kairin wouldn't finalize the deal with El Pam here.
After all, he knew something no one else did—that she possessed Fried's legacy.
So what now?
Send El Pam away?
Or forge a deeper connection?
"If you want, take a look and choose."
El Pam knew Kairin well enough to bet on the latter.
And he knew exactly what card she would play for that deeper bond.
"On my treasure island."
4.
Famous heroes and adventurers in the Maple World stored their treasures in vaults or warehouses.
And those became targets for other adventurers.
"The most coveted treasure hoard has to be Phantom's—the one belonging to one of the Six Heroes."
The ultimate prize was the treasure hoard of the phantom thief Phantom, who had stolen half the treasures in the Maple World.
"Though whether it even exists is debatable."
But stories of Phantom's hoard dated back centuries.
"Captain Kairin's treasure island is different."
Captain Kairin's island, where she kept every item she had ever obtained, existed right now—which was why countless adventurers were hunting for it.
It was that heavily guarded.
And that's where El Pam was headed.
Naturally, he couldn't make the trip unscathed.
"We'll blindfold your eyes and plug your ears. We'll cover your nose and mouth with a cloth soaked in special herbs. Don't move or act at all in that state. The moment I see any funny business, you're dead."
El Pam boarded the ship to Captain Kairin's treasure island, every sense and freedom sealed away.
'I know where it is.'
They made sure he couldn't gauge the location at all.
'Golden Eye told me.'
Of course, El Pam knew exactly where Captain Kairin's treasure island was.
'But I can't get there with my current power.'
And he knew what would happen if he tried going there on his own.
Getting in required passing through all sorts of checkpoints.
That's why El Pam complied without resistance.
"Get off."
After a full day on the ship, bound head to toe, he finally arrived.
"Here."
It was some island—and a cave inside it.
The cave itself was ordinary.
But the items casually strewn inside were anything but.
'All unique items.'
Each one priceless beyond measure.
'Phoenix feathers, dragon scales...'
El Pam knew exactly what every single one was.
Of course, he didn't let on.
"Could you explain the items?"
The island's keeper, Valerie, flashed a sly grin at the question.
"Ever met a pirate who spills the value of their treasure?"
Don't even dream of it.
"Just one. Just one."
El Pam nodded.
He had only asked to avoid seeming too knowledgeable, as mentioned before.
Now he could just pick without suspicion.
He moved through the cave, examining the items one by one.
'Way more than I expected.'
Even El Pam had to agonize in this moment.
'And plenty that could help.'
Above all, he had the All Master talent. He could wield any item's effect at 100%.
Which only made the choice harder.
But the agonizing didn't last long.
'Hold on.'
El Pam's eyes trembled.
Even after staying composed before all these treasures, emotions slipped onto his face unbidden.
'Is that Zeus's Ring?'
This time, he couldn't help it.
'Why the hell is the Lightning Lord's item here?'