Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Prince's Tomb (2)
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3.
Prince's Tomb.
When El Pam uttered that name, Prince Kashan's reaction was utter silence.
It wasn't the negative kind of silence.
‘Prince's Tomb?’
It stemmed from Prince Kashan failing to grasp the meaning of the Prince's Tomb El Pam had mentioned.
‘No way?’
Only after piecing it together did Prince Kashan finally react properly.
His face darkened fiercely.
"Are you trying to joke around right now?"
And rightly so—El Pam's words defied all common sense.
"Do you even know what the Prince's Tomb is, saying stuff like that?"
The Prince's Tomb in question meant the Fourth Prince's Tomb.
It was legendary.
Every adventurer in the Maple World knew of it.
Everyone dreamed of challenging it at least once.
Yet despite that, no one had ever conquered it.
The reason was plain as day.
The difficulty was beyond description.
"The place you cleared this time might be a prince's tomb too, but it's in a whole different league."
El Pam's latest conquest was indeed a tomb, but it wasn't even worth comparing.
For starters, it was the Seventh Prince's Tomb—a place the world didn't even know existed.
The Seventh Prince had been the least influential, the least notable among King Abdullah VIII's sons.
Which meant he was weak.
And crucially, that tomb was where the Seventh Prince had met his end due to Queen Areida's schemes.
"Saleh was an adventurer better than anyone."
Fourth Prince Saleh, by contrast, was a powerhouse renowned across the Ariant Kingdom.
Naturally, the party he led was stronger than any other.
That was why the world coveted the Prince's Tomb.
It was bound to hold treasures rivaling Saleh's fame.
"The kingdom sent expeditions multiple times to retrieve his belongings."
And who desired Saleh's legacy most? The Ariant Kingdom itself.
It wasn't about money.
It was a matter of royal pride.
"They failed every time."
And yet, they'd racked up failure after failure.
"Now they've abandoned attempts altogether."
These days, the tomb was guarded by mercenaries hired by the Ariant Kingdom.
To ensure no one who knew of it dared approach.
That was the reality.
No adventurer in the world could conquer it.
More than a tomb.
Hell itself.
"I know."
El Pam was well aware.
"No one's even tried, let alone succeeded. That's why it's safe."
That was precisely why he'd chosen it.
"Safe?"
Prince Kashan still couldn't wrap his head around it.
"Prince Kashan, my enemy right now is Queen Areida."
But those words shifted everything.
"There's no safe place for me in the Ariant Kingdom. Not even the sands of the Nihal Desert."
He wasn't exaggerating.
"Things are different beyond the Mystic Gate. Only a limited number can enter, and once I'm on the second floor, no one else gets in. Even if someone slips through, they're capped at 4th Circle. Zero chance of facing anyone stronger."
For El Pam, who now risked death with every breath, the Mystic Gate was safest.
"And the Prince's Tomb is under tight security right now. Most adventurers don't even know where it is."
Of all Mystic Gates, it was the most secure.
"That's my reasoning."
It made sense.
Though the key question remained.
Could El Pam's party actually conquer it?
Prince Kashan pondered deeply.
‘If it's El Pam's party.’
This was the man who'd smashed Queen Areida's trap, completed the commission, and returned.
He'd exceeded every expectation.
Even now, he proved it.
‘He's different.’
How many adventurers would see the Prince's Tomb as a refuge?
‘Still too tough.’
Even so, failure loomed large.
Very large.
But Prince Kashan didn't dwell long.
‘Failure just means another body on the pile.’
If El Pam's party died there?
Just more corpses atop the old ones.
‘Success, though.’
If they pulled it off?
One thing was certain.
Prince Kashan would get the credit—and the praise.
No downside for him.
In fact, he thought further.
With Black Mage followers backing Queen Areida, toppling her demanded a rock-solid foundation.
‘It might be the perfect chance.’
To build it.
As Prince Kashan mulled it over, El Pam knew.
‘He's in.’
What the answer would be.
"Let's do it."
Exactly as hoped.
El Pam had secured entry to what he'd deemed impossible.
"Prince Kashan, one request."
"A request?"
"I need money."
"Money?"
El Pam laid it out.
"To boost our odds, we need items. Which means cash."
Prince Kashan smirked.
Asking a prince of Ariant for money?
Absurd.
"Fine. How much?"
El Pam raised a single finger at the smirk.
Prince Kashan laughed harder.
"100 million mesos enough?"
El Pam replied to the laughter.
4.
A feast beyond delicious—positively lavish.
"Puha!"
One man sprayed his food everywhere.
Dibo, the culprit.
He deserved a real tongue-lashing.
And this wasn't his first offense, or second.
Yet no one scolded him now.
"T-Ten billion mesos? You asked the prince for ten billion mesos?"
El Pam had said the unthinkable.
"You nuts?"
"It's not even a question—he's lost it. Hey! You out of your mind? That's Prince Kashan—a prince!"
The target was Prince Kashan!
A man who could kill adventurers on a whim for annoying him.
No wonder Kiri and Minerma reacted harshly.
Even money-loving Ralph looked grim.
"I trust the boss, but this ain't right."
Everyone nodded.
Ralph knew the stakes.
"No way they'd hand over ten billion mesos."
"Exactly. Boss, even Ralph agrees."
"You could've started at three hundred million, haggled down to at least two hundred."
"Right! Wait, what?"
"Ten billion off the bat was reckless. Go back, pitch three hundred million?"
"Come on!"
Ralph's angle differed from the other three, but they all agreed.
El Pam had gone mad.
To his comrades, El Pam said,
"The ten billion meso ask got shot down."
"Naturally!"
Everyone nodded like it was obvious.
Even a prince wouldn't just fork over ten billion mesos.
"Never expected them to."
"Huh?"
El Pam's follow-up changed their faces.
"Then what?"
He hadn't meant the ask seriously.
"Got item support instead. Not ten billion worth, but enough."
Items were the goal.
And he'd secured ample backing.
Everyone blinked in awe.
His savvy impressed them again.
To El Pam, it was nothing special.
Just par for the course.
‘It won't be smooth. Queen Areida will sabotage us somehow.’
Lives hung in the balance.
‘Especially Ebob—he'll throw everything at it.’
His own neck was on the line.
A desperate clash on all fronts.
‘Won't be easy.’
So El Pam figured Prince Kashan would need time to arrange entry.
‘King's approval required.’
Ultimately, Abdullah VIII's permission.
‘The queen won't sit idle.’
The king was her puppet now.
But El Pam's prediction crumbled fast.
Next day.
Word spread.
"The Prince's Tomb is open!"
5.
"The Prince's Tomb is open!"
The news hit like a typhoon.
"What? Say what?"
"Ariant royals are recruiting for a Prince's Tomb raid!"
"Fourth Prince Saleh's?"
"What other one?"
It swept the Ariant Kingdom and beyond—across the Maple World.
"Lord, all that treasure?"
Shock rippled everywhere.
Prince Kashan included.
‘Revealing it now?’
They'd hidden it tight before.
Why publicize it here?
True, he'd needed the king's nod for entry.
Now, no need to convince Abdullah VIII.
But he knew.
‘Queen's plot.’
Not the king's will.
That was the issue.
‘Don't know the leak, but she read my plan and schemed this.’
A blatant trap.
A deadly one.
‘Only told my inner circle.’
Queen Areida had a spy in his deepest ranks.
Every move here would reach her.
Hence.
"El Pam."
"Yes, Prince Kashan."
The urgent summit.
"Heard the news?"
"Yes."
"No long talk needed."
He had to ask El Pam.
"What's your plan?"
Challenge amid the upheaval?
Prince Kashan anticipated.
‘Impossible.’
Prince's Tomb equaled hell.
No one wanted that.
Sane answer: no.
"We'll go as planned."
"Yes, as planned... what?"
Huge surprise.
El Pam stayed calm.
"Situation's even better now."
"Better?"
"Through you, gathering real talent would've been tough—too many eyes. But now? Massive publicity. Top adventurers incoming. Conquest odds skyrocket."
Prince Kashan's face chilled.
Not wrong.
But missing the crux.
"Those adventurers? Could all be assassins after you."
Trust them?
El Pam, cooler still.
"Yes. I know."
That sufficed.
Prince Kashan got it now—what El Pam was.
"A true adventurer."
No more objections.
Couldn't sway that resolve.
"Very well."
One thing left.
"Next topic. Brought the promised gear."
Backing the quest.
"Legendary items."
Snap.
His subordinate hauled in a golden chest, opened it.
Shoes gleamed.
Prince Kashan brimmed with confidence.
"You've likely never even heard of them."
El Pam knew.
Exactly what they were.
‘Hermes' Boots... Quite the haul.’