The Last Adventurer

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Prøks]

Chapter 95: The Phantom Thief’s Letter (1)

1.

The Royal Palace of the Ariant Kingdom.

A place so extravagant that it was among the most splendid, not only in the Ariant Kingdom but also in the entire Maple World.

A place where it was hard to find a day when one wasn’t caught up in the endless festivities held by Abdullah VIII.

However, the atmosphere there was now more chilling than ever.

“Damn it, inspections everywhere! I can’t even eat properly!”

“Earlier, I tried to show off the new sword I got, and a palace guard came and yelled at me. They’re treating adventurers like criminals.”

“That’s lucky. Our guild was forcibly disbanded. We’re staying in different accommodations now.”

The Ariant Royal Palace was using every means and method to prevent adventurers from gathering.

The reason was obvious.

“Damn them, it was the Ariant Kingdom that cheated in the first place.”

“If they were going to run the Prince’s Tomb event like that, they shouldn’t have done it at all. What do they take adventurers for?”

The Prince’s Tomb event, the festival that had excited adventurers, turned out to be nothing more than a scam.

The disappointment felt by the adventurers due to the scam was quite significant.

“The Ariant Kingdom has always been like this.”

To be precise, the adventurers’ dissatisfaction with the Ariant Kingdom was quite high even before the Prince’s Tomb scam.

It couldn’t be helped.

“They treated adventurers like trash.”

The Nihal Desert, where the Ariant Kingdom was located, was a harsh land, and it was inevitably aggressive and exclusive towards outsiders.

And after the Mystic Gate era began, this tendency became even more pronounced.

There were cases where adventurers from the Nihal Desert forcibly took away Mystic Gates discovered by other adventurers, or even attacked adventurers who had completed Mystic Gate raids.

Countless incidents that were practically robbery occurred, and each time, the Ariant Kingdom sided with those from the Nihal Desert.

The same was true when the Adventurers’ Association intervened. The Ariant Kingdom was not very friendly towards the Adventurers’ Association.

“Is it not enough that they collect taxes every time we enter a Mystic Gate, now they’re taxing the items we bring out?”

The biggest complaint was the high taxes, which were incomparable to other regions of Maple World.

Realistically, it was impossible to monitor all Mystic Gates and impose taxes.

Therefore, this tax system was effectively used by the Ariant Kingdom as a means to threaten adventurers at any time.

In such days, adventurers had reached their limit, and in that situation, the truth of the Prince’s Tomb event was revealed.

It was a situation on the verge of exploding, and the Ariant Kingdom’s conclusion was to monitor and manage adventurers even more thoroughly.

“Hey there! Why are you gathered?”

They wouldn’t even tolerate adventurers gathering and chatting.

It was difficult for adventurers to rashly try any tricks.

That’s why…

“No news yet?”

“None.”

The two executives of the Sand Painting Group, Eleska and Sejan, had a meeting within the Ariant Kingdom.

No one would even imagine that they would be planning something in a place where they thought it was difficult to do so.

It meant that the darkest place is under the candlestick.

At the same time, it also meant this.

“Sejan, I respect you. I also understand the concerns of the other members. However, a promise is a promise. Today, on the fifth day, if there’s no news by the time the moon disappears beyond those sand dunes, we will commence the assassination operation.”

This meant that the Sand Painting Group already had the power to move freely within the heart of the Ariant Royal Palace, as if it were their own home.

Of course, infiltrating the palace and reaching the chambers of Abdullah VIII, the king of the Ariant Kingdom, were two entirely different matters.

Sneaking in was absolutely impossible.

Ultimately, a fierce battle, a blood-soaked battle, was inevitable.

“Are you truly not going to change your mind?”

Sejan’s attempt to stop Eleska stemmed from this reason.

“Whether we succeed or fail, despair will befall the Ariant Kingdom.”

The case of failure was not even worth discussing.

The Sand Painting Group had gained the support of adventurers and the public because they had not crossed the line.

But attempting to assassinate Abdullah VIII?

That was clearly crossing the line.

And the moment that line was crossed, not only would the Ariant Kingdom act, but the Maple Alliance, to which the Ariant Kingdom belonged, would also be forced to move.

The Signus Knights!

They could come to judge the Sand Painting Group.

“Even if we succeed.”

The same was true if they succeeded.

“Chaos will ensue.”

A kingdom without a king could hardly function properly.

“The tribes throughout the Nihal Desert will rise up.”

Crucially, the Ariant Kingdom was not just a single kingdom.

Various groups existed within the Nihal Desert, and the kingdom existed because they followed the Ariant royal family.

But what if the king was assassinated?

The balance would inevitably shift in many ways.

“Chaos will come.”

Eleska knew this.

Nevertheless, she was resolute.

“But if we continue like this, all the princes will die, and only Queen Areda will remain. Then, we won’t have even the slightest chance. We must make a decision before that happens.”

If things continued as they were, a worse situation might arise.

“Sejan, that’s why I willingly agreed to your proposal, even though I knew it was just a way to buy time.”

That’s why Eleska had willingly spent five precious days on Sejan’s time-buying tactic.

In other words, she was certain.

There was no way the El Palm Party could retrieve Bayos’ will from the Signus Knights’ Tomb in just five days.

So, when the moon set today, the Ariant Royal Palace would be stained with blood.

Sejan felt the same.

He didn’t have any expectations for the El Palm Party either.

“Eleska, cancel the plan.”

“Cancel?”

That’s why Sejan made his proposal.

“If we’re going to do it, let’s do it right.”

“Do it right?”

“Exactly as I said. It’s more likely to succeed if the entire Sand Painting Group move, rather than just your forces, Eleska.”

Eleska’s eyes wavered at the suggestion.

“It’s better to succeed than to fail.”

“Sejan!”

Eleska felt indescribable joy at the fact that her comrade was following her lead.

‘I’m sorry.’

Of course, Sejan’s true intentions were different.

‘By using a ploy to buy time.’

This was also Sejan’s ploy to delay Eleska’s assassination plan, even if just a little.

‘Buy some time, and in the meantime, raid the Signus Knights’ Tomb once more.’

And with the time earned through this ploy, Sejan intended to raid the Signus Knights’ Tomb.

‘Fortunately, the members have been recruited.’

During the five days earned by using the El Palm Party, Sejan had been organizing a party to raid the tomb.

‘The best members.’

Sejan had high expectations for the party that had been formed.

Needless to say, the El Palm Party no longer existed in Sejan’s mind.

He simply waited.

For night to fall, and for the moon to set.

Then, news arrived.

“Master Sejan.”

The person managing the Signus Knights’ Tomb approached with a flustered expression.

Of course, neither Eleska nor Sejan were surprised by that expression.

‘They failed.’

They knew all too well the reason for the surprise.

“It seems the portal has disappeared.”

“Pardon? Ah, yes.”

The person who brought the news nodded at Sejan’s words.

Then, with a surprised expression, they said,

“Did you know?”

“I did.”

At Sejan’s following words, the person who brought the news now wore an expression of admiration, not surprise.

“You’re amazing! I thought they would fail, but as expected of Master Sejan! You predicted that the El Palm Party would succeed!”

“What?”

2.

“I honestly didn’t think they would succeed.”

The first to greet the El Palm Party as they emerged from the Signus Knights’ Tomb was Cheryl.

Of course, this wasn’t planned.

“To be honest, I came to confirm their deaths.”

Cheryl had simply remained there, to witness the moment the El Palm Party met their certain demise.

She believed it was the least she could do, having sent them to their deaths.

El Palm’s response to her concern was brief.

“We almost died.”

There was no need to elaborate.

The story to be told here wasn’t about the adventure El Palm had experienced.

“Fortunately, we survived and brought Bayos’ will, as promised.”

Keeping the promise.

Cheryl immediately understood El Palm’s intention.

“Then it’s time for me to keep my promise. As promised, I’ll prepare the Legendary item for you.”

It was at that moment.

“May I make a proposal?”

“A proposal?”

“I don’t need the Legendary item.”

Cheryl’s expression hardened at El Palm’s words.

An adventurer who valued items more than anyone else didn’t need a Legendary item?

There was no way he was saying this out of pity for the Cross Hunters or Cheryl.

“Instead of the Legendary item, I would like to use Bayos’ necklace for the time being.”

Cheryl’s expression hardened at the proposal.

It couldn’t be helped.

“Do you know what that item is?”

“Isn’t it the Oz’s Necklace, the Commander of the Blaze Mages?”

“You know it well.”

The necklace El Palm mentioned belonged to none other than the Commander of the Signus Knights.

It was an item that should be returned.

An ordinary adventurer using such an item as they pleased?

It was impossible.

‘I need it.’

El Palm was making this request to Cheryl precisely because he knew this fact.

‘Gerector can make it happen.’

He knew that the Cross Hunters had some connection to the Signus Knights.

‘He knows Neinhart.’

It wasn’t just a connection; Gerector, the leader of the Cross Hunters, was closely connected to Neinhart, the advisor to Empress Signus.

In other words, for El Palm to use Oz’s necklace even temporarily, the leader of the Cross Hunters would have to step in and talk to Neinhart, the advisor to Empress Signus.

It wasn’t something that could be easily overlooked just because he had brought back the remains of Oz’s disciple.

That’s why it was necessary.

“You’re asking for too much.”

“If you can make that possible, the request you were going to ask of me…”

Additional compensation befitting the request.

“I will do that request without any payment.”

Cheryl’s expression turned cold at El Palm’s words.

She realized what El Palm’s words meant.

If she said no here, El Palm would never fulfill Cheryl’s request.

At that point, Cheryl didn’t hesitate any longer.

It wasn’t a matter to ponder over.

“Alright.”

Cheryl hadn’t come to El Palm with just a difficult request.

If it were just that, Cheryl wouldn’t have come to find El Palm, who was captured by the Sand Painting Group.

“The Cross Hunters are planning to raid a Mystic Gate soon.”

As she spoke, Cheryl took out a letter.

“This is a letter brought by Pir.”

And as she explained the background of the letter, El Palm’s expression began to harden.

He had guessed it.

If it was a letter brought by Hero Tracker Pir, it had to be related to none other than them.

El Palm’s prediction turned into certainty as he read the letter.

‘This handwriting.’

The handwriting in the letter belonged to someone El Palm had seen before.

“Do you know the Phantom Thief?”

Phantom.

One of the six heroes who sealed the Black Mage, the handwriting in the letter was none other than his.

“This letter is from his secret vault, a place filled with all sorts of treasures from Maple World. The letter says this.”

Thus, the Phantom Thief made a request to the person who entered his secret vault.

“To raid a Mystic Gate.”

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Prøks]

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