I Became the Guild Leader in Exile

46 – #9 The Hero, Bronze Golem Man Appears! (2)

Winter in Gideon was harsher than one could imagine. Therefore, proper winter preparations were essential, especially for young children. That’s why Isaac paid extra attention.

The children, wearing all sorts of cold weather gear, looked like little pigs. Sophie, passing by them, was taken aback and scolded Isaac.

Even though they could have refused if it became too much, the children were still awkwardly receiving kindness, so they just accepted everything without saying anything. Sophie sighed and spoke.

“If you don’t like it, just say it clearly. Otherwise, these nobles won’t stop.”

“The children need to be warm.”

“They were dressed so warmly that they almost suffocated! They couldn’t even move properly!”

In the end, after Isaac made some unnecessary remarks, he received a 3-hit combo of scolding from Sophie and finally stopped. Zick approached the exhausted Isaac and comforted him.

“It’s alright, Master. I’m always on your side.”

“Indeed, Zick, you’re the only one.”

“Yes, of course, hehehe.”

“He really has a poisonous snake-like side, doesn’t he?”

Someone muttered nonsense from behind and Diego, who was hit by a flying pebble, fainted. Isaac looked at the suddenly collapsed Diego and tilted his head questioningly.

“Diego? Is something bothering you?”

“I’m just too tired, that’s all.”

“How much did Hans push you in training? I should have a word with Hans about this.”

Sasha and Hertz, who had witnessed everything, already knew the truth. However, Hertz wasn’t oblivious enough to make unnecessary remarks and end up in the same situation as his fallen friends.

A moment later, after Isaac and the kids finished all preparations, they left the guild to resolve the commission. This time, the team consisted of Isaac, Zeke, Diego, Hertz, and Sasha—five members in total.

“I didn’t expect only the kids to be taken on a C-rank commission.”

“We evaluated your abilities highly enough for that.”

“Well, I guess there’s no helping it then.”

“Diego is quite weak to compliments.”

“Shut up!”

In response to Hertz’s mockery, Diego flushed with anger. However, unlike Hertz’s reaction, Isaac didn’t just say it as a lip service. He had already confirmed their abilities before.

The Crimson Turtle Mercenary Corps.

The mercenary group that the kids, along with Cain and Yurina, had subdued in Elise the other day. They were easier to subdue than expected, but the Crimson Turtle Mercenary Corps was by no means a mercenary group to be ignored.

‘Hans and Sophia warned to be careful of them.’

According to the list, the Crimson Turtle Mercenary Corps could handle B-rank commissions without a problem. In Gideon, B-rank commissions were rare, almost disasters from the outside perspective.

The fact that they could handle it reliably was already a testament to their skills. Of course, now they were imprisoned in Elise for some reason. Somehow, they would likely meet again later.

But that’s a matter for later.

Now is now.

Let’s focus on the commission first.

Unlike the past, when they traveled with merchants due to a lack of money, now, with abundant funds, they could afford horses and a carriage. Isaac considered hiring a coachman, but he soon gave up on the idea.

It was a rare commission to do with the kids.

It felt like a comfortable family trip atmosphere.

It’s a bit awkward with strangers, though.

Instead, they made sure to prepare for the cold inside the carriage. The most prominent measure was the warming stones. Stones enchanted with heat magic to warm up the body or objects.

“Isn’t it a bit too warm?”

“Too warm? It’s a luxury in the dead of winter.”

“It’s better than freezing to death.”

“Well, that’s true.”

Hertz, who now felt warm due to the heating stones piled up in the carriage, had experienced cold to the point of death. On the other hand, Zeke and Diego, who had already experienced extreme cold, preferred the current warmth.

“Master, are you okay?”

“I have warming stones, so I’m fine.”

“It’s a relief.”

Unlike the thick tent covered with leather, there was no heated cushion on the mahogany seat where Isaac was sitting and driving the carriage. That made Zeke worry about Isaac.

As if dismissing unnecessary worries, Isaac took out a warming stone to reassure Zeke. If they didn’t have the warming stone, it would have been quite cold. Zeke completely stepped out from behind and sat next to Isaac.

“It’s cold. Go inside.”

“How can I leave Master alone?”

“That’s…”

“We’re family, right?”

“You’re right.”

Isaac, unable to find words to refute, reluctantly nodded his head. Hearing the sound of hooves clattering, Zeke had been listening to that sound for a while and spoke while looking at Isaac.

“Who is the Bronze Goleman working for?”

“They say a monster called the Bronze Goleman appears in a coastal village in the western region.”

“What harm does it cause?”

“They said it’s a thief who plunders the powerless commoners.”

“He’s a bad guy.”

“Well…”

Isaac deliberately trailed off at the end of his sentence. Is the Bronze Goleman really as bad as he thought? It was as if he was saying it like that, so Zeke couldn’t understand and tilted his head curiously.

* * *

It must have been about two weeks.

Facing the increasingly harsh winter wind, they finally arrived in the region. Spilos, a western coastal territory, had developed predominantly around fishing. Isaac sighed and said,

“We finally arrived.”

“Wow…!!”

The children, who were raised inland, had never seen the sea before. Thanks to that, the sea they saw for the first time in their lives inadvertently led them to exclaim in awe.

The children’s gaze remained fixed on the endless sea. Isaac didn’t bother to disturb that moment. It was their first time seeing the sea, so it was only right to let them enjoy the sight to their heart’s content.

“Ahem! Are you the ones from Gideon?”

However, an interruption came from an unexpected source. When Isaac turned his head, he saw about five knights wearing armor. In front of them stood a young man with black hair who cleared his throat.

“Yes. I am the Shield Master, Isaac Silvertere.”

“Isaac Silvertere…!! The one who defeated Veronika, Hades’ Scion…!!”

“I didn’t expect the rumors to spread this far.”

“How could anyone not know?”

Veronika, as the Scion, had gained fame for subjugating the Leviathan, the Demon Lord of the Abyss. More accurately, she was with the Hades Guild, but one of the widely known names was Veronika.

Moreover, even if that’s not the case.

If there was even a little knowledge of magic, Veronica couldn’t remain unaware of a name like Beronica’s. But how could someone like Beronica, unknown as a hero, end up losing her life in reverse?

Unless one was foolish.

It was natural to investigate the other party.

That way, Isaac Silverter’s name became widely known in secret. However, being Isaac, unaware of it, and the other party knowing him, he couldn’t help but feel bewildered.

“It seems I’m late for introductions. My name is Evan Devilwater.”

“Devilwater? That’s an unusual surname.”

“I hear that often. In fact, our ancestors were not nobles but pirates by origin.”

The Devilwater lineage was once comprised of pirates ruling the seas. Through some dealings, an ancestor transitioned from piracy to nobility and gained fame by suppressing pirates.

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“This isn’t the right time. Let’s head to the mansion first. We’ll discuss details there.”

Evan guided the group to the mansion. The children already sensed something suspicious in his rather urgent demeanor. Understandably so, as they were the ones who managed to survive somehow in this perilous world.

Even if they didn’t know anything else, their knack must be above a ninth dan.

And Isaac was no exception. But since there was no concrete evidence yet, for now, they decided to follow along. Isaac’s group joined Evan and headed towards the mansion.

The Devilwater mansion stood right beside the cliffs, offering a panoramic view of the sea. It was a precarious place, with the cliff just outside the windows. Ziggy felt queasy at the sight.

“There’s no way out here.”

“The cliff is a favorite spot for our ancestors.”

“Is that so?”

“Pirate tastes were rather unique.”

There were even pirates who used skulls as drinking cups. Compared to that, liking cliffs was a mere quirk. Isaac chuckled as he surveyed the mansion.

“Is this truly the Devilwater’s mansion?”

At least in terms of scale, it could be called a mansion. With its four-story height and passages connecting to towers, it was more akin to a castle. However, the issue wasn’t the scale but its condition.

The yard was neglected, overrun with weeds and vines. Some vines even grew from the castle walls. Furthermore, the walls themselves were weathered and adorned with cracks here and there.

“It seems it could collapse any moment.”

“…It’s unavoidable. It’s all because of that Bronze Golem.”

“Because of the Bronze Golem?”

“Yes.”

Evan sighed heavily as he spoke.

“In truth, our Devilwaters have been continuously plundered by the Bronze Golem.”