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Chapter 31. Letter from the Thief Phantom (1)
One.
The royal palace of the Ariant Kingdom.
It is a place that is so splendid that it is unrivaled even among the Maple World, let alone the Kingdom of Ariant.
A place where it is difficult to find a day that is not consumed by the endless festivities hosted by King Abdullah VIII.
But now, more than ever, the place was filled with an atmosphere that was utterly murderous.
“Damn, everything I do gets checked, checked! I can’t even eat properly!”
“Just now, when I took out the sword I recently acquired to show it to you, a palace soldier came and yelled at you. He was just treating adventurers like criminals.”
“That’s fortunate. Our guild was forcibly disbanded. We’re currently staying in different accommodations.”
The Ariant Palace was using every means and method to prevent adventurers from gathering.
The reason was, of course, that.
“Damn bastards, the one who committed the scam in the first place was the Ariant Kingdom.”
“If you’re going to do the Prince’s Tomb event like that, why didn’t you do it in the first place? What do you think of adventurers?”
The Prince’s Tomb event, the festival that excited adventurers, was in fact nothing more than a fraud.
The disappointment felt by the adventurers in that fraud was quite great.
“The Ariant Kingdom guys have been like that since long ago.”
To be exact, the adventurers’ dissatisfaction with the Kingdom of Ariant was quite large even before this Prince’s Tomb scam.
It had to be that way.
“They treated adventurers like trash.”
The Nihal Desert, where the Kingdom of Ariant was located, was a harsh land, and it could not help but be extremely aggressive and exclusive towards outsiders.
And since the Mystic Gate era began, this trend has become even more severe.
There were even instances where adventurers from the Nihal Desert forcibly took away the Mystic Gate that the adventurers had found, or in extreme cases, attacked the adventurers who had finished conquering the Mystic Gate.
There were countless incidents that were practically nothing more than robberies, and each time the Kingdom of Ariant sided with the Nihal Desert people.
It was the same even when the Adventurer’s Association came forward. The Kingdom of Ariant was not very friendly to the Adventurer’s Association.
“It’s not enough that you have to pay taxes every time you enter the Mystic Gate, so now you have to pay taxes on the items you take out too?”
The most critical complaint was the high taxes, which were incomparable to those in other Maple World regions.
In fact, it would have been impossible to monitor and tax all of the Mystic Gates.
Because of this, this tax system was actually used as a means by which the Kingdom of Ariant could threaten adventurers at any time.
In those days, the adventurers were at their limit, and it was in that situation that the truth about the Prince’s Tomb event was revealed.
The situation was on the verge of explosion, and the conclusion that the Kingdom of Ariant reached in that situation was to monitor and manage the adventurers more thoroughly.
“Hey! Why are you all gathered here?”
To the point where it is not even acceptable for adventurers to gather and chat.
From the adventurers’ point of view, it was difficult to do anything rash or nonsensical.
That’s why.
“Any news yet?”
“does not exist.”
The two executives of the Sand Drawing Group, Ereska and Sejan, met in the Kingdom of Ariant.
It’s hard to talk nonsense, because no one would ever imagine that those two would prepare nonsense in a place where they think that way.
It means that it is dark under the lamp.
At the same time, it also had this meaning.
“Sejan, I respect you. I also understand the concerns of the other members. But a promise is a promise. If there is no news before the moon disappears beyond the sand dunes on the fifth day, then we will begin the assassination operation.”
This means that the Sand Figures’ forces can already move around the heart of the Ariant Kingdom, the royal palace, as if it were their own home.
Of course, entering the palace and invading the residence of King Abdullah VIII of the Ariant Kingdom were two entirely different things.
It’s absolutely impossible to sneak in.
In the end, a fierce battle, a bloody battle, was inevitable.
“Are you really not going to change your mind?”
Sejan, that was why he wanted to stop Eresca.
“Whether we succeed or fail, despair will fall upon the Kingdom of Ariant.”
First of all, the case of failure was not worth discussing.
The reason the Sand Drawing Group has been able to gain the reputation of adventurers and the public up until now is because they have not crossed the line.
But attempting to assassinate King Abdullah VIII?
This is clearly crossing the line.
And the moment the line was crossed, not only the Ariant Kingdom had to move, but the Maple Union that the Ariant Kingdom belonged to had no choice but to move as well.
Knights of Signus!
Meaning that they might come to judge the Sanddragons.
“Even if it succeeds.”
The same was true even if it was successful.
“There will be chaos.”
There is no way a kingdom with a dead king can function properly.
“Because the tribes throughout the Nihal Desert will rise up.”
Crucially, the Kingdom of Ariant was not just one kingdom.
There were various groups in the Nihal Desert, and the kingdom was able to exist because they followed the Ariant royal family.
But the king was assassinated?
It is something that cannot help but be weighed differently in many ways.
“There will be confusion.”
Eresca knew too.
Still, she was resolute.
“But if we continue like this, all the princes will die, and only Queen Areda will remain. Then we will not have any more chances. We must make a decision before that.”
If things continue this way, the worst may come.
“Sejeon, that’s why I readily agreed to your offer even though I knew it was just a waste of time.”
So, Eresca was willing to waste five days of Sejan’s precious time to buy him some time.
In other words, she was confident.
Anyway, there was no chance that the El Palm Party would be able to get Bayos’ will from the tomb of the Knights of Signus in five days.
So, when the moon sets today, this place, the royal palace of the Ariant Kingdom, will be filled with blood.
It was the same for Sejeon.
He also didn’t expect much from the El Palm party.
“Eresca, cancel the plan.”
“cancellation?”
That’s why Sejeon took it out.
“If you’re going to do it, do it for sure.”
“Surely?”
“That’s true. Right now, it’s more likely that the entire Sand Figures will move than if you and Ereska move alone.”
Ereska’s eyes wavered at that suggestion.
“It is better to succeed than to fail.”
“Sejan!”
She felt an indescribable joy at the fact that her colleagues followed her.
‘sorry.’
Of course, Sejeon’s intentions were different.
‘By using tricks to buy time.’
This was also Sejan’s trick to delay Ereska’s assassination plan even a little.
‘Let’s buy some time and attack the Signus Knights’ tomb once more.’
And with the time he earned from that trick, Sejan planned to attack the tomb of the Knights of Signus.
‘Fortunately, members were recruited.’
What Sejan did during the five days he spent using the El Palm Party was to organize a party to attack the tomb.
‘The best member.’
Sejan had quite high expectations for the party that was organized like that.
Of course, the El Palm Party no longer existed in Sejan’s mind.
All I could do was wait.
May night come and the moon set.
Then came the news.
“Your Majesty Sejian.”
The one who was in charge of the tomb of the Knights of Signus approached with a puzzled expression.
Of course, Ereska and Sejan weren’t surprised by that expression.
‘It failed.’
Because I knew all too well why they were surprised.
“It looks like the portal has disappeared.”
“Yes? Oh, yes.”
The person who brought the news nodded at Sejun’s words.
Then he said with a surprised expression.
“Did you know?”
“I knew it.”
The one who brought the news now spoke with an expression of admiration rather than surprise at Sejun’s words.
“Wow! I thought it would fail, but it was Sejan, as expected! You predicted that El Palm Party would succeed!”
“what?”
2.
“I didn’t know it would really succeed.”
The first to greet the El Palm Party as they emerged from the tomb of the Knights of Signus was Cheryl.
Of course, that wasn’t planned.
“To be honest, I came here to confirm that he is dead.”
Cheryl, she just stayed behind to see the moment when El Palm Party met its certain death.
That was the least Cheryl could do, sending El Palm Party to their deaths.
El Palm’s response to that concern was brief.
“I almost died.”
There was no need to make the story long.
The story we need to tell here is not about what adventures El Palm had.
“Fortunately, I survived and brought Bayos’ will. Just as I promised.”
Keeping promises.
Cheryl immediately realized El Palm’s intentions.
“Then it’s time for me to keep my promise. As promised, I will prepare a legendary item for you.”
That was the moment.
“Can I make a suggestion?”
“A suggestion?”
“I don’t need any legendary items.”
Cheryl’s expression hardened at El Palm’s words.
No one needs a legendary item, let alone an adventurer who risks his life for items more than anyone else?
There is no way Cross Hunter would have said that out of pity for Cheryl.
“Instead of the legendary item, I would like to use Bayos and his necklace for the time being.”
Cheryl’s expression hardened at the suggestion.
It had to be that way.
“Do you know what that thing is?”
“Commander of the Knights of Fire, Oz, isn’t that her necklace?”
“You know a lot.”
The necklace that El Palm spoke of belonged to none other than the Commander of the Knights of the Signus Order.
An item that deserves to be returned.
A mere adventurer uses such an item at will?
Something that can’t be happening.
‘I really need it.’
El Palm, he knew that fact well when he asked Cheryl this favor.
‘If it’s a generator, it’s possible.’
Because I knew that there was some connection between the Cross Hunters and the Knights of Signus.
‘Because I know Nineheart.’
It wasn’t just a connection point, but Gerector, the leader of the Cross Hunters, was closely connected to Nineheart, who assisted Empress Signus.
Of course, in other words, in order for El Palm to use the Necklace of Oz, even temporarily, the leader of the Cross Hunters must come forward and talk to Nineheart, the aide of Empress Signus.
It wasn’t something that could be easily overlooked just because they brought back the remains of Oz’s disciple.
So it was necessary.
“You are asking too much.”
“If you can make it possible, I will grant you the request you wanted to make,” with additional compensation to match.
“I will not accept payment for that request.”
Cheryl’s expression hardened coldly at El Palm’s words.
It was because I realized what El Palm meant.
If she said no here, El Palm would never grant Cheryl’s request.
At that point, Cheryl didn’t worry anymore.
It wasn’t a problem to worry about.
“great.”
The reason Cheryl came to El Palm now was not just because of a difficult request.
If it had been that much of a problem in the first place, Cheryl would not have come looking for El Palm, who had been captured by the Sand Drawing Group, in a different situation.
“I plan to conquer one of the Mystic Gates in Cross Hunter soon.”
With that said, Cheryl took out a letter.
“Pir, this is the letter he brought.”
And the moment he explained the background of the letter, El Palm’s expression began to turn cold.
Because I guessed it.
Hero Tracker Pir, if it’s a letter he brought, it has to do with them and no one else.
El Palm’s prediction became certain the moment he read the letter.
‘This handwriting.’
The handwriting in that letter was that of someone El Palm had also seen.
“Do you know the Phantom Thief?”
Phantom.
One of the six heroes who sealed the Black Wizard, the handwriting on the letter was none other than his.
“The secret warehouse of that thief, Phantom, where all the treasures of Maple World are kept. This is a letter I brought from there. The letter reads as follows.”
So, the phantom thief Phantom asked one thing of anyone who entered his secret storage room.
“Please attack one Mystic Gate.”
fantasy,
