abcnovels
Chapter 50
Chapter 50
Chapter 50
[Translator – Prøks]
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Chapter 50: Goldrich (1)
1.
In the bustling port city of Lis, everyone knew about the Top 10 Guilds.
“Name one of the Top 10 Guilds.”
However, when asked to name all of the guilds in the Top 10, not many people could actually do so.
Instead, there was one guild that everyone knew.
“Goldrich Guild, of course.”
Goldrich. Everyone in Maple World knew that name.
It wasn’t because Goldrich Guild was the highest ranked among the Top 10 Guilds in Lis. Most people didn’t care much about the ranking of Lis’s Top 10 Guilds.
The reason they knew was only one.
“How could you not know? They’re the richest people on Victoria Island!”
Goldrich, the fact that he was rich.
And not just rich, but incredibly rich.
“Goldrich has more mesos than all the mesos of all the merchants in Lis combined.”
That’s how rich he was.
Such a rich Goldrich had two sons.
One was Goldrich Jr.
The other was Jack Rich.
Of these two, the one famous among the people was none other than the second son, Jack Rich.
“And Goldrich’s second son, Jack Rich, is the most expensive adventurer in the world.”
The reason he was famous was because of his price tag.
It wasn’t that his skills were amazing and therefore his price was high.
Jack Rich was a great adventurer in his own right.
Despite being a novice adventurer who had only reached the 3rd Circle in a year after Awakening, Jack Rich possessed remarkable talent.
He even received training from Mikhail, the Grandmaster of the Cygnus Knights.
However, his exceptional talent alone couldn’t justify his exorbitant price tag.
“It’s all those unique items he’s got.”
What truly made Jack Rich the most expensive adventurer was the vast collection of unique items his father, Goldrich, had acquired for him.
Unsurprisingly, these unique items enabled Jack Rich to amass a collection of prestigious titles.
Goldrich, concerned for his son’s safety, even assembled a team of highly skilled individuals to form Jack Rich’s party.
And so, news of Jack Rich’s death sent shockwaves through the Nautilus, stirring up both adventurers and pirates alike.
Everyone knew what it meant.
“A treasure island has emerged.”
The most valuable tomb had come to light.
Dibo, like everyone else, was no exception.
“Boss!”
Upon hearing the news, Dibo exclaimed.
“Let’s go!”
There was no room for hesitation.
And it wasn’t just Dibo who was eager.
Ralph had already risen from his seat, signaling his readiness to depart for Lis immediately.
Miner, too, couldn’t contain her excitement. As a pirate and disciple of Captain Kyrin, her golden eyes gleamed with anticipation at the prospect of such immense treasure.
Kiri, who usually showed little interest in material gains, also expressed her desire to join the expedition.
“What? You too?”
Dibo couldn’t help but be surprised by Kiri’s unexpected interest.
“I met Jack Rich once before.”
Dibo’s curiosity piqued at her explanation. While it wasn’t uncommon for people to want to help someone they had a connection with, Kiri’s involvement in this particular quest seemed unusual.
“You’re connected to Jack Rich? That incredibly wealthy guy?”
Dibo couldn’t fathom how someone like Kiri, who seemed indifferent to material possessions, could have a connection to someone as rich as Jack Rich.
Despite their differing reasons, all four individuals now shared a common goal: to raid Jack Rich’s tomb.
Of course, their intentions were irrelevant. The final decision rested solely with El Paume.
“Boss, what’s the hold-up? Isn’t this a jackpot of an opportunity?”
The four of them were confident that El Paume would readily agree to the expedition. After all, he had always been drawn to profitable Mystic Gates, and this one promised to be the most lucrative yet.
“Boss?”
However, El Paume’s expression remained unreadable as he faced the prospect of this expedition.
“Let me think this over for a moment.”
True to his word, El Paume fell into deep thought.
‘This is different from my previous regression.’
Indeed, this situation was unlike anything El Paume had experienced before.
‘Jack Rich died on that dark day, when monsters emerged from the Mystic Gate.’
In this current timeline, Jack Rich was still alive.
Of course, El Paume’s arrival had already altered the course of history in several ways. Therefore, even if Jack Rich had faced death, it wouldn’t have been entirely unexpected.
‘There’s no information about the Mystic Gate where Jack Rich died.’
The lack of information was the problem.
This was a significant hurdle.
Honestly, El Paume’s remarkable achievements thus far were not solely due to his abilities but also his access to information about Mystic Gates.
This knowledge had allowed him to manage risks effectively.
However, that advantage was no longer in his favor.
Moreover, El Paume realized that:
‘Jack Rich’s strength was among the best for a 3rd Circle adventurer. His death implies that someone was trolling.’
There had to be a reason behind Jack Rich’s demise.
‘Followers of the Black Mage were involved.’
He understood the motive behind it.
Would the Black Mage’s followers stand idly by if El Paume’s party entered that Mystic Gate?
It was a situation fraught with risk on multiple levels.
‘There is no choice.’
On the contrary, El Paume had no valid reason to refuse this opportunity at this point.
The Gafor Merchant Union would seize this chance to trap El Paume, and the Kania Guild would seek to eliminate him.
Could he escape?
Yes, he could.
‘The situation will be the same no matter where I go.’
Despite the inherent dangers, El Paume ultimately concluded that there was only one viable option.
‘If the risks are high, then I’ll just have to mitigate them.’
This was the crux of his dilemma.
After careful consideration, El Paume arrived at a decision.
“We’re going to Lis.”
2.
The bustling port city of Lis was abuzz with a single topic:
“Jack Rich, son of Goldrich, is dead!”
Of course, the conversations weren’t about mourning his passing or offering condolences.
People were eagerly anticipating one thing:
“Who will raid Jack Rich’s tomb?”
Who would claim the exorbitant price tag that the once most expensive adventurer commanded?
“Rumor has it that Goldrich is seeking help from the Top 10 Guilds?”
“The Top 10 Guilds? But they’re his rivals?”
“It’s better to raid the tomb with the Top 10 Guilds and settle things later than let some random group interfere.”
“Yeah, Jack Rich wouldn’t have died in an ordinary place. It would be even worse if Goldrich Guild tried it alone and failed again.”
With his son’s death, Goldrich had initiated negotiations with the Top 10 Guilds to raid Jack Rich’s tomb. Naturally, the Gafor Merchant Union was also approached.
They were asked to assist in the expedition.
“This is a golden opportunity.”
Lakan couldn’t help but grin at the news.
Ebisu shared his amusement.
“Things are going our way.”
And indeed, Jack Rich’s death was a boon for the Gafor Merchant Union.
“Goldrich Guild must be in internal chaos right now. The factions of Goldrich Jr. and Jack Rich will be intertwined.”
Goldrich Guild would undoubtedly face internal strife over the succession issue. This was the reason they sought help from the Top 10 Guilds.
Any additional problems amidst this turmoil could potentially destabilize the guild.
And just when they needed it most, an opportunity arose.
“El Paume is back alive as well.”
El Paume, the valuable bait they had thought lost, had miraculously emerged from the Mystic Gate unharmed.
Both the stage and the bait were set.
“This is a golden opportunity.”
Naturally, the Gafor Merchant Union was eager to utilize this bait. They planned to lure El Paume’s party into Jack Rich’s tomb.
“We’ll also eliminate Kania Guild while we’re at it.”
And Kania Guild would be unable to ignore this bait.
“Goldrich Guild won’t be able to refuse El Paume’s party. His titles are impressive.”
Moreover, Goldrich Guild had no reason to decline El Paume’s party’s involvement.
“If he refuses…”
The only concern, as Lakan pointed out, was if El Paume rejected their proposal.
“No worries.”
However, Ebisu wasn’t overly concerned about that possibility.
“If he refuses, he must have a good reason. Then we just need to find a Mystic Gate that matches that reason. It doesn’t matter to us where El Paume’s party enters.”
After all, all the Gafor Merchant Union wanted was for El Paume to be the bait that would corner Kania Guild.
With that, the two finished their conversation.
Two days later, El Paume appeared before them.
And El Paume said,
“I’ve heard about Jack Rich’s tomb. I’ll lead my party in.”
He would enter willingly.
“The maximum number of participants is 48. A selection team will be assembled soon.”
In response, Ebisu kindly provided an explanation of the Mystic Gate.
However, El Paume showed no interest in the explanation.
He was only concerned about one thing.
“The location of the Mystic Gate should be near the Elinia Forest.”
3.
Ellinia Forest
The towering trees, filled with lush greenery, always exuded an air of tranquility.
But this time, it was different.
With over a hundred adventurers gathered, the place was more chaotic than ever.
At the same time, it was also incredibly solemn.
“No trespassing.”
They were already stopping the adventurers who had come upon hearing the rumors.
And to their surprise, the adventurers were cooperating remarkably well.
It was understandable.
“Those who trespass will be added to Goldrich Guild’s blacklist.”
Manning the area were none other than Goldrich Guild adventurers.
“Damn it, we can’t even approach Jack Rich’s tomb.”
And the Mystic Gate they were currently controlling was the one leading to Jack Rich’s tomb, which was causing a stir on Victoria Island.
From the perspective of adventurers, especially those with a thirst for adventure, this was a situation that could only make their mouths water.
In fact, if it weren’t for Goldrich Guild’s control, the Mystic Gate would have been forcibly entered by now.
In fact, there had been attempts.
“Eeeeek!”
Several adventurers had attempted to sneak into the Mystic Gate and had paid the price with their arms or legs.
That was why there were not a few bloodstains scattered throughout the forest.
That’s when it happened.
A group approached Jack Rich’s tomb, and of course, the Goldrich Guild adventurers stopped them.
“No trespassing.”
Then, a robed mage adventurer pulled out a coin from his pocket and showed it to them.
In that instant, the situation changed.
The adventurers who saw the coin changed their expressions and quickly stepped aside.
“What the?”
“Why is he going in?”
While other adventurers were surprised by the sight, an adventurer waiting inside emerged.
“Are you the El Paume Party sent by the Gafor Merchant Union? I’m Henri, the leader.”
“I am El Paume.”
“Rest in the tents prepared over there.”
With that brief exchange, the El Paume Party moved to the already prepared tents.
Afterward, Henri’s subordinate raised a question.
“The El Paume Party? Surely it’s not that El Paume?”
“Yes, it is that El Paume.”
The subordinate’s expression turned to surprise at the reply. And for good reason.
“The survivor of the 100-Man Mystic Gate, the returnee from the Eagle Eye’s Tomb….”
El Paume held some extraordinary titles at this point in time.
Titles that were special enough to make an adventurer shine, even if they only had one.
Of course, not everyone gave these titles much meaning.
Henri was one such person.
He scoffed at his subordinate’s admiration.
“He’s just a lucky bastard.”
“Lucky?”
“He hasn’t done anything himself, has he? He survived the 100-Man Mystic Gate by luck. He only survived his return from Eagle Eye’s Tomb thanks to the Golden Eye. And looking at his other exploits, he’s just a guy who’s survived by sheer luck.”
Most adventurers tend to belittle the titles of other adventurers.
Especially Henri, who was a 4-circle adventurer.
“That luck can’t possibly work at Yellow Rank.”
From his point of view, El Paume was now somewhat of a rival.
It was unlikely that such a rival would be happy to see someone less experienced than himself gain more fame just by luck.
“If I were a 3-circle adventurer, I would have gone in right away.”
More than anything, the fact that he was stuck guarding and standing by while this incredible opportunity presented itself was irritating Henri.
There was one more reason for his irritation.
ace adventurers.
In effect, an all-star team from the Port City of Lis was being formed.
“He’ll probably survive again this time with the help of other adventurers, if he’s lucky.”
El Paume, meaning that if he didn’t do anything particularly stupid, another title would be added to his name: the returnee from Jack Rich’s Tomb.
And it wasn’t just Henri who thought this way.
Many people thought similarly to Henri.
Of course, they were unprepared.
Because they couldn’t have imagined it.
“Mr. Henri!”
“What is it?”
“The Mystic Gate portal has been activated.”
“What?”
“The El Paume Party has entered!”
The idea that the El Paume Party would enter the Mystic Gate alone had never crossed their minds.
[TL/N: Sorry Guys for the next 4-5 days there will be no more chaps as I am planning on revamping the series with game accurate names and some extra changes. Please be patient for a few days, You should be getting an announcement/notice chap regarding that after I am done with it]
[Translator – Prøks]
[Proofreader – Prøks]