abcnovels
Chapter 56
Chapter 56
Chapter 56
[Translator – Prøks]
[Proofreader – Prøks]
Chapter 56: Gold Richie’s Gift (1)
1.
The moment the El Pam party appeared, two groups were the first to react.
The fastest of them was none other than the Kania Guild.
“Lord Ivok!”
Bayz entered Ivok’s office without knocking and immediately delivered the news.
Upon hearing the news, even Ivok was momentarily speechless.
Silence fell.
It was that shocking of a news.
‘How?’
Ivok, he was certain.
‘There were two Martyrs.’
That it would be impossible for anyone, let alone two Martyrs, to return alive from the Mystic Gate where they had been martyred.
That Jack Richie’s tomb would become a grave that would consume countless adventurers in the future.
But the El Pam party, consisting of only five members, returned alive from that place, a place where no one could return alive?
‘This is absurd.’
An impossible event.
No, an event that should not have happened.
Bayz, standing before Ivok, was equally bewildered by this fact.
Therefore, neither of them could speak first, and the silence grew longer.
Knock, knock!
It was none other than Bisant, another executive of the Kania Guild, who broke the silence.
“Lord Ivok.”
After a brief knock, Bisant opened the door and entered.
This was rude.
Ivok, in particular, hated this kind of rudeness.
For Ivok, who had to hide his allegiance to the Black Mage, this kind of approach was the most dangerous.
Normally, Ivok would have given Bisant a cold scolding and immediately dismissed him from his executive position.
But it was different now.
Ivok was so bewildered that he missed the timing to vent his anger.
“We received an urgent message from a spy in Gold Richie’s faction.”
Above all, the content was worthy of Bisant’s urgent tone.
“While receiving urgent news and acting on it, it seems that an executive of the Gold Richie Guild is moving towards Jack Richie’s tomb.”
The Gold Richie Guild sent someone to meet El Pam.
“Who is it?”
“It hasn’t been confirmed exactly, but… it seems to be Silverly.”
Gold Richie’s right-hand man, Silverly.
2.
There were a few names that were always mentioned when talking about Gold Richie.
First, there were his two sons.
The eldest son, Gold Richie Junior, and the second son, Jack Richie. People were very interested in the two who would inherit Gold Richie’s vast wealth.
But there was a name that was of even greater interest.
“No matter who inherits Gold Richie’s wealth, one thing is for sure. When Gold Richie dies, Silverly will immediately lead the Guild.”
Silverly.
He was the right-hand man of Gold Richie and the most powerful figure in the Gold Richie Guild, handling all affairs in Gold Richie’s absence.
Above all, what made Silverly famous was something Gold Richie said.
“I gave Silverly the key to my secret vault.”
The one who even had access to the secret vault of the tycoon Gold Richie!
That very person was now standing before El Pam.
“I am Silverly,”
A 60-year-old man with still sharp eyes and an impressive slicked-back silver hair, Silverly looked at El Pam with those eyes and said,
“I heard you have Jack Richie’s will.”
His eyes were cold.
Enough to intimidate even the most seasoned adventurer.
El Pam replied to Silverly,
“Yes, I have it.”
Politely.
“And I will deliver it directly to Lord Gold Richie.”
He politely declined to give the will to Silverly.
Silverly’s eyes turned cold.
A gaze cold enough to kill El Pam on the spot.
Moreover, Silverly didn’t just have a cold gaze.
“Don’t overstep your bounds. Isn’t it a life you barely saved?”
Silverly threatened El Pam.
He, the one who could move the Gold Richie Guild, threatened to kill El Pam.
Yet, El Pam did not waver.
There was no reason to waver.
First of all, Silverly’s eyes or aura did not even faze El Pam.
‘As expected, Silverly is coming.’
Above all, this was a situation El Pam had intended.
‘Jack Richie was murdered. They have no choice but to act.’
In the first place, there was no mention of Jack Richie being murdered in the will.
In other words, El Pam had forged the will.
It wasn’t difficult.
Imitating Jack Richie’s handwriting was a piece of cake.
The problem was credibility.
‘It was the Black Mage’s followers who did it. They must have done it in secret, but surely someone within the Gold Richie Guild must have sensed something.’
That wasn’t a problem either.
‘That’s why Silverly has no choice but to come.’
If the Gold Richie Guild hadn’t sensed anything, Silverly wouldn’t have come in person.
In any case, Silverly needed the will of Jack Richie that El Pam had.
He had to use it as a clue to eliminate those who were targeting the Gold Richie Guild.
That was Silverly’s role.
And that was why El Pam had created this situation.
‘If I point to the Kania Guild as the culprit, they’ll take care of ransacking the Kania Guild themselves.’
Making the Gold Richie Guild and the Kania Guild clash.
‘The Kania Guild is the culprit, after all.’
Moreover, if he could just make them clash, El Pam wouldn’t have to do anything else.
In other words, it meant that he had to add more spice to make sure they clashed.
“Jack Richie was murdered. By none other than a colleague. The murderer is within the Gold Richie Guild. So, no one but Lord Gold Richie can be trusted.”
The spice he was talking about here was trust.
“I am Silverly. Are you suspecting me of killing Jack Richie right now?”
“Honestly, I suspect you the most.”
Is this adventurer, El Pam, really trustworthy?
“The most?”
“Gold Richie only has two sons. One of them is dead. Now there’s only one left. But if that one dies too, then who will be the next heir?”
“That’s an interesting assumption. Then let me ask you one thing. If I were the culprit, I would kill you right here and take the will, even if it meant taking your life. So why are you risking your life to not give me the will?”
“If you are the culprit, Sir Silverly, then I am already a dead man. Risking my life doesn’t come into the equation. In that case, there’s only one thing I can do.”
Now El Pam offered that trust.
“Simply deliver the will of the deceased properly. That’s the duty of an adventurer.”
And that trust worked.
Srrrrup!
The tent flap where El Pam and Silverly were staying opened, revealing a middle-aged man.
A middle-aged man with impressive brown hair and a distinctive mustache.
’Gold Richie.’
It was Gold Richie, considered the Richest man in the Maple World.
“It is Gold Richie. I apologize. I tested you for a moment there.”
The moment he heard those brief words, El Pam, without hesitation, took out the will from his pocket.
“Jack Richie’s will.”
And Gold Richie, who received it, immediately checked the contents of the will.
There was no change in Gold Richie’s expression as he read the will.
Stoically, he read his son’s suspicions and warnings about the one who murdered him.
And he spoke without showing even a flicker of rage.
“Thank you. For bringing my son’s will all the way here. Is there anything you need? I will give you anything.”
To that question, El Pam replied,
“I have already received payment in the form of a relic. I do not need any further compensation.”
Like an adventurer, he said he would settle the account.
“Then I will take my leave.”
As El Pam was about to leave,
“Silverly.”
“Yes, Master.”
At that moment, Gold Richie looked at Silverly and said,
“Ransack the Kania Guild. To the very root.”
3.
‘He must have told him to tear down the Kania Guild.’
The moment he left the tent, El Pam could predict what kind of order Gold Richie would give.
It wasn’t a difficult prediction.
‘Not only his son’s death, but he won’t be able to tolerate the fact that there’s a traitor within the Gold Richie Guild.’
Gold Richie didn’t become the representative tycoon of Maple World just by luck.
And it wasn’t just because of money that the Gold Richie Guild became the top Guild in the Lith Harbour.
‘The power of the Gold Richie Guild is beyond what everyone thinks.’
In fact, Gold Richie’s abilities were far greater than the world knew.
El Pam had seen it.
In the midst of the world collapsing, the last Guild standing was the Gold Richie Guild.
‘The Kania Guild won’t go down easily either.’
Of course, the Kania Guild, a follower of the Black Mage, wouldn’t collapse easily either.
Therefore, the fight between the two was likely to last quite a long time.
Honestly, even El Pam couldn’t predict when the fight would end.
One thing was for sure.
‘In the meantime, the Kania Guild will do everything in their power to kill me.’
El Pam’s name would proudly be at the top of the Kania Guild’s elimination list.
The Kania Guild was likely to disregard the opinions of others.
Meaning they would do anything, whether it was sending Martyrs or trolling, to blatantly kill El Pam.
‘The Gafor Guild would want that too.’
And that was what the Gafor Guild wanted most.
From El Pam’s perspective, it was a dire situation where everyone around him wanted him dead.
However, El Pam didn’t feel particularly emotional about the situation.
‘It’s as expected.’
El Pam knew this situation would come.
‘The Kania Guild will send even stronger adventurers to kill me.’
No, it wasn’t just that he knew it would happen, it was what he wanted.
‘Armed with Unique items.’
From El Pam’s perspective, needing to collect as many items as possible, even adventurers coming to kill him were welcome.
Of course, that didn’t mean he was going to just sit back and watch.
‘I need to level up before that.’
In that sense, the current situation wasn’t all that great.
‘Now, whether I like it or not, I have to conquer Yellow-rank Mystic Gates.’
To be honest, El Pam opening the 4th Circle in this Mystic Gate was outside of his plans.
If things had gone according to plan, he would have maintained the 3rd Circle here and conquered other Orange-rank Mystic Gates.
This was a pretty important issue.
Within Orange-rank Mystic Gates, accessible only to those below the 3rd Circle, there was no threat to El Pam. However, in Yellow-rank Gates, open to those up to the 4th Circle, El Pam was like a newcomer who had just stepped onto the stage.
‘A safe place.’
In this situation, venturing out anywhere was extremely dangerous.
In fact, that was the most troublesome thing for El Pam right now.
None of the people who guided him to Mystic Gates or gave him quests were trustworthy.
There was only one, the only one he could trust.
‘I have no choice but to deal with the Cross Hunters.’
Only the Cross Hunters, who fought against the followers of the Black Mage, were somewhat trustworthy.
But that wasn’t easy either.
It was difficult to contact such a closed group as the Cross Hunters, and there was no reason for them to deal with El Pam.
Unless El Pam became a Cross Hunter.
Unless something happened.
‘I’ll try to make contact first.’
Of course, El Pam wasn’t going to give up without trying.
Having made that decision, El Pam took a step towards the tent where his companions were.
It was then.
“El Pam.”
Someone called El Pam, and at the call, El Pam turned his head.
Then he saw it.
A male adventurer belonging to the Gold Richie Guild.
But the moment El Pam saw him, he knew.
‘Disguise.’
That he was in disguise.
It wasn’t something that was outwardly visible.
El Pam simply sensed it.
The subtle difference between someone disguised and someone who wasn’t.
To be precise, he was good at noticing unnatural things. And he had to be.
The era El Pam lived in was one where not noticing such unnatural things meant death.
‘Is this an ambush?’
So El Pam was tense.
Because the opponent could be a follower of the Black Mage.
“By any chance, this item…”
But as soon as he heard the changed voice, the tone suddenly shifting to a woman’s, El Pam slightly relaxed his tension.
‘Cheryl.’
Because it was a familiar voice.
Of course, it was a signal from Cheryl.
Don’t be alarmed.
“Is it yours, El Pam?”
After giving that signal, with a voice that had changed back to a masculine tone, Cheryl handed over a bag.
El Pam picked up the bag and checked inside.
At that moment, a letter came into view, and El Pam examined it without taking it out of the bag.
I want you to rescue my colleagues.
The moment he confirmed the contents of the letter, El Pam looked up at the disguised Cheryl in front of him.
Then he saw Cheryl’s eyes trembling ever so slightly.
It was understandable.
‘For her to ask me for such a favor means the situation is quite serious and critical.’
The fact that the secretive Cross Hunters were making such a request to El Pam, whom they still doubted.
‘Moreover, to come so urgently.’
The fact that Cheryl came in person meant that this was no ordinary matter.
The fact that she had come to El Pam meant that she was practically grasping at straws of hope.
Of course, El Pam was calm.
‘I have no intention of handling things based on emotions alone.’
He couldn’t afford to make the worst possible stage for his first attempt at a Yellow-rank Mystic Gate.
With that, El Pam further confirmed the contents of the letter.
‘Ah, here it is.’
And the moment he confirmed the rescue target Cheryl had requested, El Pam answered without hesitation,
“Yes, it’s my bag.”
[Translator – Prøks]
[Proofreader – Prøks]