Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Chapter 24. Time Attack (2)
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4.
No one was surprised when El Pam's party appeared at the Gapor Merchant Group's Ariant branch.
If anything, they thought it was only natural.
‘Of course. They gave up in the end.’
It was all too predictable what happened when someone tried to climb a mountain that was impossible to scale.
“That will serve as proof.”
But the moment El Pam drew his sword, the situation changed.
“Proof that we succeeded in conquering it.”
Salaman froze at those words.
‘Nonsense!’
It was a situation that utterly defied common sense.
That was why.
‘Good.’
It actually allowed Salaman to quickly regain his composure.
‘They’re running a scam!’
Something beyond common sense couldn’t possibly be true.
‘Just like before.’
Besides, by Salaman’s standards, El Pam already had a track record of pulling off massive cons.
Because of that, Salaman paid no attention to the sword El Pam presented.
With a cold glare, he said,
“Is that so-called proof real?”
It wasn’t a question.
Salaman’s eyes and expression made it clear: it’s obviously fake.
El Pam smiled at the certainty in his voice.
From El Pam’s perspective, there was no reason to turn down Salaman’s provocation.
“You seem to think it’s fake, but if it is, I’ll give you 100 million mesos.”
Far from refusing, El Pam made a proposal.
“And if it’s real, you give me 100 million mesos.”
Salaman’s conviction deepened at the offer.
‘Just as I thought—bluffing!’
Mentioning such an astronomical sum was clear proof that El Pam was lying.
There was no reason for him to be intimidated by the proposal.
“Fine. Let’s see about that…”
Salaman was about to accept the bold challenge.
“Enough.”
But it was Prince Kashan, who had been silently observing, who stopped him.
Salaman froze at his appearance.
Prince Kashan shot a sharp glance at the rigid Salaman.
It was an order.
No more words. No more actions.
“El Pam.”
With the same piercing gaze, Prince Kashan addressed El Pam.
“I’m Prince Kashan. Show some respect.”
5.
“Show some respect.”
The moment he heard those words, El Pam bowed his head and replied,
“I am adventurer El Pam. It is an honor to meet you, Prince Kashan.”
Prince Kashan’s eyes narrowed at the sight of him lowering himself without hesitation.
What if a mere errand boy suddenly claimed to be Prince Kashan?
Common sense dictated disbelief.
At the very least, surprise or confusion would be the normal reaction.
“You know me?”
Yet El Pam’s response would have been impossible without knowing who Prince Kashan was.
At the prince’s puzzled question, El Pam answered,
“No, I don’t.”
“You don’t? Then why react like that?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Of course...? Why?”
“If you’re not really Prince Kashan, I just look like a fool, but if you are the real Prince Kashan, my head’s on the line. No need to weigh the options.”
Prince Kashan had to acknowledge it at that answer.
‘His survival instincts are impeccable.’
El Pam was different from the others.
In truth, that was why Prince Kashan had stepped in.
He had no intention of revealing his identity unless absolutely necessary.
The problem was Salaman.
‘He throws gambles around without a second thought.’
Most adventurers with strong survival instincts played it safe.
They avoided provocations or risky bets.
But El Pam was exceptional at survival—and yet he eagerly threw gambles at the enemy before him.
And Salaman had fallen for it.
That was why Prince Kashan had no choice but to intervene.
In a gamble, the surest stake was none other than one’s life!
For someone with superior survival skills, that stake was worth double—no, more.
If this continued, Salaman wouldn’t just lose mesos; the losses would be far greater.
Of course, that was the biggest reason Prince Kashan stepped forward.
“So, how long did it take?”
‘If it’s really true.’
If the proof El Pam’s party brought was genuine, Prince Kashan had no room for hesitation.
‘It’s the talent I’ve been looking for.’
He would reveal himself anyway.
‘If not.’
If it was a lie, the story was simple.
‘I’ll just kill him.’
In Ariant Kingdom territory, the price for insulting a prince was more than enough to warrant severing his head.
“It took 12 hours, 15 minutes, and 22 seconds.”
El Pam answered Prince Kashan calmly.
“Impressive.”
With those words, Prince Kashan signaled Salaman.
“If it’s real.”
At the follow-up, Salaman snapped to attention and grabbed the sword El Pam had brought before rushing outside.
To verify its authenticity.
In the meantime, Prince Kashan sat in Salaman’s former seat.
“You have remarkable ability.”
The dignity of a prince now emanated from his seated figure—the overwhelming authority of one in a position of absolute power.
It was intense.
Even seasoned adventurers would feel their throats burn under its weight.
For El Pam, though, it stirred nothing.
“Thank you.”
He remained composed.
“Just pay us the 60 million mesos as promised.”
He calmly demanded what was owed, even from Prince Kashan.
It was dangerous.
The man before him held the status and power to take El Pam’s head on a whim.
Yet El Pam wasn’t worried.
‘I don’t know what Prince Kashan is after.’
One thing was certain.
‘The fact that he’s revealing his identity means he’s staking his position as prince on this.’
Here, the desperate one wasn’t El Pam—it was Prince Kashan.
‘It’s an absurd endeavor. So he must be looking for a madman.’
And with that desperation came a desire for an all-or-nothing bet.
‘That’s why he got assassinated.’
That was the reason Prince Kashan remained a dead man in El Pam’s memories.
‘By the queen.’
Prince Kashan was close to Abdullah VIII, and in the end, he was killed by Queen Areda.
‘It’s soon.’
Moreover, that time—the moment of Prince Kashan’s execution—was one year from now, in El Pam’s memory.
The year before the monsters beyond the Mystic Gates poured into the Maple World.
That was why.
‘I don’t know the details.’
El Pam didn’t have much information on Prince Kashan.
Most of his connections came after the monsters burst from the Mystic Gates—after the Maple World became a monster paradise.
Before that, El Pam had been just a decent mage adventurer. He hadn’t had the luxury for grand connections.
Nor the reason.
Until the monsters escaped the Mystic Gates, it had been the golden age for adventurers.
Repeated Mystic Gate conquests flooded them with unique and legendary items. Adventures grew easier, rewards sweeter—the peak of the golden age.
With only purple-grade Mystic Gates left to conquer, adventurers’ eyes were fixed solely on them.
Nothing else mattered.
‘But one thing I do know.’
However, El Pam knew full well one incident between Prince Kashan and Queen Areda.
‘Queen Areda killed the Seventh Prince Amir in a Mystic Gate, and Prince Kashan tried to conquer Amir’s tomb.’
What twisted their relationship.
He learned that later.
‘Prince Kashan failed.’
After Prince Kashan’s death.
‘Queen Areda made sure to finish the job.’
Precisely, after she had Kashan executed, Queen Areda personally led a conquest of the Seventh Prince’s tomb to ensure no such issues arose again.
With a horde of top adventurers.
El Pam knew the process well.
He couldn’t not know.
‘I participated in that cleanup.’
He himself had been one of the adventurers in that final operation.
Of course, he hadn’t known it was the Seventh Prince’s tomb at the time.
He was only interested in the bounty posted by Ariant’s true power broker, Queen Areda.
Even after learning the truth later, he hadn’t cared much.
Afterward, he was too busy surviving against the monsters that escaped the Mystic Gates.
He had neither the time nor interest for tales of a long-dead Prince Kashan.
Thanks to that, though,
“You seem to love money.”
“Yes, because most things can be bought with it.”
“Is that so? Then let me make you an offer you can’t refuse. Conquer a Mystic Gate for me.”
The moment Prince Kashan said it, El Pam knew exactly which one.
‘The Seventh Prince’s tomb. And the proof will be inside. Proof that the queen killed the Seventh Prince. That’s what Prince Kashan wants.’
“Bring me what I want from inside.”
He even knew what Prince Kashan desired.
‘If it were just retrieval, he wouldn’t have given a time attack challenge. There’ll be a deadline.’
“It’s yellow-grade, with a party limit of 99. You have one week from now. Finish everything within that time.”
He was right about the time limit too.
‘Time enough to fool the queen’s eyes. A week. Go beyond that, and Queen Areda will know.’
“Fail, and even escaping the Mystic Gate won’t save you from death.”
And the reason for the limit.
All within El Pam’s expectations.
So he showed no interest in the details.
“What do you say to my offer?”
“I accept.”
No hesitation.
There had never been a choice for El Pam to begin with.
‘The moment I refuse, he kills me.’
From Prince Kashan’s view, this was a life-risking project if word reached Queen Areda. No way he’d let El Pam, who now knew the secret, walk free.
Showing doubt here would be pointless.
‘This is life-or-death for Prince Kashan too. He can’t entrust it to someone half-hearted. I need to show reliability.’
On the contrary, answering decisively would please him.
“I like that.”
That was why, in this moment, El Pam focused on just one thing.
“But for the difficulty, I won’t compromise on the reward.”
What would he offer?
Prince Kashan answered without hesitation.
“Succeed within the week, and I’ll give unique-grade items. One per head.”
El Pam didn’t react to the response.
It was certainly a shocking proposal.
A 99-person entry limit meant up to 99 unique items if all survived.
But El Pam knew.
‘The moment we conquer it, we become Queen Areda’s enemies.’
The risk of this deal.
‘Five unique items wouldn’t even tip the scales.’
If the reward was meager, El Pam would consider other options.
‘Better to become a fugitive.’
Flee!
It wasn’t a bad choice.
‘Prince Kashan dies anyway.’
Just hold out, and Queen Areda would handle him.
‘If needed, I can hasten it.’
El Pam was even willing to side with Queen Areda if necessary.
It wasn’t a hard decision.
Both Prince Kashan and Queen Areda were just power-hungry throne claimants.
When the Mystic Gate catastrophe hit, neither would matter.
El Pam, who had seen Ariant’s proud port city of Jedah crumble in an instant, knew their futility all too well.
At the same time, he knew life was paramount.
He was prepared to do anything to survive.
“And if you bring the item I mentioned.”
To such an El Pam, Prince Kashan said,
“I’ll give you a legendary item.”
An offer impossible to refuse.