I Became the Guild Leader in Exile

50 – Guild of Crete (1)

However, not all guilds submitted to Hades from the beginning.

Originally, heroes are supposed to overcome adversity. There were guilds that accepted Hades’ rule as adversity and resisted until the end, and the Crete Guild was one of them.

The leader of the Crete Guild had a human body but a presence like a beast. At first, people thought he might be a centaur, but he proved his humanity with fluent speech.

With strength and skill befitting his beast-like appearance, he quickly gained fame in Gideon. His goal, like Hades, was to take control of Gideon.

To avenge the parents and homeland that had abandoned him.

But he did not know.

The most careful thing one should do to catch monsters.

Is to beware of becoming a monster oneself.

＜Welcome to the Guild of Exiles!＞ – Excerpt from Volume 7, page 13.

* * *

The Iron Shield returned to normal more smoothly than expected.

Here, “normal” means there are no problems, compared to Hades’ deliberate economic regulations. It cannot be denied that it is livable.

But the problem arose elsewhere.

While all guilds submitting to Hades refused to interact with the Iron Shield, eventually, the Iron Shield became a trash bin for the constraints of other guilds.

What does that mean?

It meant that, except for the Golden Deer and the commercial guilds, including the Night Emperor Nox from the back alley, even the blacksmiths specializing in crafting equipment became unavailable.

Artisans do not blame their tools.

True, but that doesn’t mean they can ignore good equipment. If their skills are similar, victory or defeat is often determined by equipment. The bronze brought this time was like that.

The bronze infused with the magic of bronze monsters was so hard that it easily surpassed ordinary steel and feather-light, but it was not easy to process.

The problem was that all the forges capable of processing this had cut off ties with the Iron Shield. Seeking it through the Golden Deer meant commissions were exorbitant.

“Damn cowardly bastards.”

Zeke, who had become rough-mouthed at some point, slammed the desk. However, surprisingly, this was a reaction similar to the original. Zeke initially admired the hero, but…

Upon actually encountering the heroes at Gideon, he’d felt disillusionment, and inevitably scorned Gideon itself. If there was a difference from the original…

In the original, there was no mentor at her side. Without Isaac, Zeke would have grown into an utterly corrupt adult, just like the original.

“It’s okay, Zeke.”

“But!”

“An opportunity will come someday. You just have to hold on until then.”

“…Understood, Master.”

With a nod, Zeke sat back in his place. A few days ago, past the year’s mark, Zeke had been assisting the Master, self-proclaiming himself as his aide.

Merely a year older now.

But Zeke’s abilities were beyond imagination.

It was because his desire to help the Master had turned into an obsession beyond imagination.

‘Strengthening his position as the next Master? Impressive!’

Although Isaac actually had a completely different thought. He had already planned everything until his last moment in his mind, matching the concept perfectly.

In the midst of praising his own plan, at that precise moment, Sophia urgently kicked open the office door and gasped for air before crying,

“Master! Could you come out for a moment?!”

“What’s the matter?”

“Someone’s here for you outside! But!”

“Hmm?”

Seeing Sophia unusually flustered, Zeke and Isaac shared glances. It wasn’t common for her to be in such a state. Clearly, the guest wasn’t an easy one.

Isaac, making a swift decision, got up immediately,

followed by Zeke and Sophia quickly exiting after him.

They didn’t hide or flee.

They merely awaited Isaac openly at the front of the guild. Yet, merely standing, they oozed a commanding presence others couldn’t approach.

After all, they had a male body,

but the head of a bull.

With horns snorting from a brown, furry chunk, even Isaac was momentarily stunned, wondering if it was some sort of animal costume. But he soon realized who it was.

“So, it’s Asterios.”

“Do you know him, Master?”

“He’s the guild master of the Crete Guild.”

“Creta Guild?”

“As expected, you knew. Iron Shield Master, Isaac Silverthorn.”

Somari, no. Asterios chuckled and clapped his hands. It might seem impressive just to know the name. Surprisingly, in Gideon, it’s a remarkable feat.

The rebellion of Creta Guild has been going on for over 5 years now.

Yet, most guilds haven’t even heard the name of Creta.

It was due to the thorough control, as fearsome as Hades.

And that was the same for Creta Guild; they defeated Elena’s tyrant and, just like the Shield of Iron who even took down Veronica, remained relatively unknown.

Only the major guilds might have some information.

Isaac, who knows nothing but a golden deer on a leash, knows?

In other words, the Shield of Iron had surpassed the level of ordinary guilds long ago. Well, a guild that defied Hades in Gideon couldn’t be mediocre.

Naturally, Isaac didn’t have an extraordinary intelligence network. He simply knew from reading novels, but to Asterios, who didn’t know that, it seemed otherwise.

“Let’s get straight to the point. Shall we form an alliance?”

Therefore, Asterios proposed an alliance to Isaac. The power of the Shield of Iron would undoubtedly be helpful. That was Asterios’s judgment.

“Not a bad idea.”

Isaac also thought positively about the alliance.

For one, Isaac knew Hades’ strength. He could manage other things somehow, but the real problem was Hades’ master, the monster known as the incarnation of death.

Moreover, even if it wasn’t that, considering Hades’ sub-guilds, the more power, the better. If it wasn’t just empty talk, he would have formed an alliance.

“Pick a woman from your side. We’ll do the same.”

“…What?”

“Simply put, it’s strategic marriage. Surely, you know what strategic marriage is?”

Strategic marriage.

It’s a common method when nobles or kings seek to capture each other or form alliances between nations. And naturally, Gideon could not be an exception.

Marrying each other’s guild members was a somewhat better option.

The problem is that there are cases where one offers their woman to the opponent’s master. For now, Creta acknowledged Iron Shield, and that’s how they formed an alliance.

“How about the guild masters taking women?”

“What nonsense…!!”

“Endure it, Zeke. You know, our master.”

“But still…!!”

When the topic of the master’s marriage came up, Diego and Hertz restrained the irritated Zeke from behind. He knew it in his head, but he couldn’t accept it in his heart.

“Leaving aside everything else for now. Why is the master going with the method of taking women?”

“Isn’t there a saying about the hero’s desire for glory?”

From Noble mtl dot com

“So, does that mean a hero should have many women?”

“That’s correct. By the way, I have four wives.”

As if boasting, Asterios revealed the number of his wives. He was proud of it, having made quite a concession to the Guild of Steel in the first place.

“With these conditions, it’s quite common among guilds.”

In Gideon, in the worst cases, there were instances of taking married women, ruining them, and returning them. Compared to that, Crete’s conditions were unexpectedly favorable.

The implication was clear.

Crete was recognizing the Guild of Steel as an equal guild.

This meant that Crete, which had endured against Hades for a whopping five years, was now speaking.

Of course, Asterios did not neglect to investigate. He understood the current situation of the Guild of Steel. So, here comes the decisive blow.

“There are things in the world that cannot be solved with money alone.”

“…”

“If we form an alliance, we can support you in that aspect.”

Unlike the newly formed Guild of Steel, there were guilds in Crete that had already formed contracts with both Hades and Crete, like a golden deer with hooves in both territories. It was a precautionary measure.

What if Crete defeats Hades?

Then the next dominant force would be Crete.

Some large guilds had already made contracts with them, just in case Crete won against Hades.

At least, it was for the sake of appearances.

And that was a condition that could help the disadvantaged Guild of Steel, still in its infancy. The benefits the guild would gain were overwhelming. Sophia had calculated this in her mind.

“If we form an alliance with Crete, we can effectively restrain Hades.”

Crete was a guild that had stood against Hades in a full-fledged battle. If the Guild of Steel joined forces with them, winning against Hades wouldn’t be impossible.

“But it’s not likely.”

But what kind of person is our master? Even if he proposes very favorable conditions, he is a master who prioritizes his family. And the prediction was accurate.

“I decline.”

“Think about it again. It’s not because you’re worried about a few guild members, is it?”

Asterios, who didn’t expect to be rejected, requested reconsideration with a hint of confusion. However, Isaac had already made up his mind. He said, almost as if it were obvious,

“I hope for my family to be happy by marrying someone they love.”

Isn’t that natural?