Chapter 105

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Prøks]

Chapter 105: The Phantom Thief (2)

3.

The Phantom Thief.

The stories about him were numerous enough to make the storytellers of Maple World lose their voices.

“The Phantom Thief is the most romantic thief. He knows what romance is, and he knows what justice is.”

And most of those stories were full of praise for the Phantom Thief.

They were all good stories.

It was natural.

Usually, thieves are looked down upon.

“The greatest thief who stole Maple World from the Black Mage!”

But he was one of the six heroes who saved the world from the Black Mage, so the people of Maple World had no right to blame him for anything he did.

“He’s the most handsome man in Maple World. Full of humor and composure.”

The Phantom Thief was also known for his composure, humor, and playful personality.

That’s why many people said,

“If you had the chance to meet one of the six heroes, nine out of ten people would choose the Phantom Thief.”

They said that the Phantom Thief was the hero they most wanted to meet.

And now, the Phantom Thief was standing in front of El Pam.

“El Pam, is it? Nice to meet you. But let’s get one thing straight. I’m not the Phantom Thief.”

The Phantom Thief denied his identity.

Of course, it was obvious to anyone that he was joking. The playful smile revealed under his mask was proof of that.

“You seem to have the wrong person. I’ll be going then.”

With that smile, the Phantom Thief waved his hand.

He gestured as if he was about to leave.

And he waited in anticipation.

‘He’s playing a prank on me.’

He hoped that El Pam would feel embarrassed.

But El Pam didn’t feel embarrassed at all.

Instead, El Pam felt a chill down his spine.

It was because he knew.

He knew that the Phantom Thief was a nightmare to the Black Mage’s followers.

And El Pam knew.

He knew how vicious the Black Mage’s followers were, and that their nightmare, the Phantom Thief, had to be a cold and terrifying existence beyond what everyone thought.

It was the same now.

‘To figure me out.’

The Phantom Thief’s pranks weren’t just because of his playful personality.

It was to gauge his opponent by observing their reaction to his pranks.

And if the Phantom Thief judged that El Pam was playing a foolish game, he would not hesitate to kill him.

‘He hasn’t regained his former strength yet.’

The only fortunate thing for El Pam was that the Phantom Thief had lost his power.

It wasn’t just the Phantom Thief.

All five of the six heroes who sealed the Black Mage, except for the deceased Freud, had lost their power.

‘Because of the Black Mage’s curse.’

The Black Mage had cast a curse before he was sealed, causing the six heroes to lose all their power.

That was why the Phantom Thief was testing El Pam now.

If he had his original power, he wouldn’t need to test anyone and would have taken action himself.

But even considering that, the Phantom Thief was a monster.

‘If I were in the same circle as him, my chances of survival would be about 30 percent.’

Even El Pam had a hard time gauging the odds.

This was a big deal.

El Pam, he was the last adventurer.

He, too, in his prime, boasted survival skills superior to any other adventurer.

But even El Pam couldn’t dare boast about his experience in front of the six heroes.

Above all, El Pam knew.

‘I can’t hide anything in front of the Phantom Thief’s eyes.’

That the Phantom Thief’s eyes saw a different world.

Lies didn’t work in front of the Phantom Thief’s eyes.

“You’re not as flustered as I thought you’d be.”

That was why the Phantom Thief kept talking.

“Do you know me by any chance?”

The longer the conversation went on, the higher the chance of lying.

“I know you well. There’s no adventurer in the world who doesn’t know the Phantom Thief.”

“Really? Have we met before? I don’t think we have?”

“I haven’t had the honor of such an experience.”

“By the way, how did you know there was a problem outside? That I was up to something like this?”

“I didn’t know.”

“You didn’t know?”

“I just made thorough preparations.”

“Is that so?”

Of course, El Pam wasn’t lying, and that fact brought a smile to the Phantom Thief’s eyes.

“Wow, you’re well-prepared. I like that.”

He even smiled and showed his favor towards El Pam.

“Alright, you pass. I can trust an adventurer like you. Oh, right. Let me ask you one thing.”

Favor that was pleasant to hear.

“What’s your relationship with the Black Mage’s followers?”

That favor suddenly turned into hostility.

Hostility that felt like a dagger piercing his heart the moment he faced it.

That was the final test.

Pir saw a letter at his feet and quickly read it.

And the moment he saw the contents, Pir clenched his teeth.

It was around then.

“Ugh!”

One by one, those who had fallen asleep began to wake up.

“Damn it, what’s going on?”

“Is everyone okay?”

“Hey, wake up! Wake up!”

“Is everyone alright?”

Divo, Kiri, Minerwa, and Ralph also woke up.

And they all had the same expression.

“Is everyone alive?”

“There was definitely smoke.”

“This is crazy, who’s playing this prank?”

They were attacked right after clearing the Mystic Gate?

It was a situation where it wouldn’t be strange to say that this place was the afterlife right now.

It was a situation where they couldn’t help but be confused.

There was one exception.

“Fortunately.”

“Fortunately? Ralph, what’s fortunate?”

“Fortunately, nothing was stolen. All the items we have are intact.”

Ralph checked his belongings and regained his composure.

At that sight, Divo and his colleagues didn’t laugh.

Rather, they were puzzled.

There must have been an intention if they were put to sleep like this.

‘The items are intact too?’

But not only their lives but also all the items they had were safe?

Then what was the purpose of putting everyone to sleep?

The answer to that question came from Pir.

He said to everyone, full of questions.

“The one who released the smoke was the Phantom Thief.”

“What?”

“The Phantom Thief?”

“Ah!”

The moment they heard those words, everyone understood.

The Phantom Thief was someone who could do something like this without it being strange at all.

“Ah...”

And soon, everyone let out a deep sigh.

“That’s right, the Phantom Thief gave us one last test.”

The fact that everyone fell asleep meant that they had missed the chance to meet the Phantom Thief.

“And we failed.”

It meant that the connection they had so longed for with the six heroes was severed.

For those who had come all this way just for that, they couldn’t help but feel an indescribable sense of emptiness.

“But the Phantom Thief gave us a reward. A check for 10 billion mesos.”

Even the enormous amount of reward money didn’t comfort them.

“Really?”

Except for Ralph.

Anyway, everyone was depressed.

“Ah, damn it. Where is this?”

The same went for El Pam and his party.

“Huh? We just need to clear the Mystic Gate, you want us to prepare for an ambush afterwards too? That Phantom Thief is a piece of trash, a piece of trash!”

Everyone, including Divo, had a hardened expression.

“Isn’t that right, boss?”

And that included El Pam.

“It looks like you’re flustered since your expression is hardened too, boss. Of course, the Phantom Thief is crazy!”

Of course, El Pam’s hardened expression was different from his colleagues.

‘What the Phantom Thief wants.’

What hardened El Pam’s expression was the content of the deal.

He said.

He would gladly give me what I want.

‘The death of Queen Areda.’

If I bring him the death he wants.

It wasn’t an easy task.

‘The moment she dies, the world will be in chaos.’

Not only killing her, but the moment she was murdered, the Ariant Kingdom would fall into indescribable chaos.

In fact, it was a proposal that should normally be given up.

But El Pam was different.

He was more obsessed with this proposal than ever before.

‘If he wants her life, there must be a good reason.’

If it was something that one of the six heroes wanted, it had to be done unconditionally.

That was why El Pam was deeply troubled in many ways.

News reached El Pam.

As soon as Pir and the others went outside the mysterious pyramid, a black camel approached them.

Cheryl was on the back of the black camel.

“It’s breaking news.”

She said.

“The Signus Knights have started to move. To capture Queen Areda.”

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Prøks]