I Became the Guild Leader in Exile

51 – 10# Crete Guild (2)

An uncomfortable silence descended. Asterios and Isaac stared at each other without any evasion. However, that silence was broken by Asterios himself.

I thought he was a true guildmaster who knew how to sacrifice an ox for the sake of the generation. He turned out to be nothing more than a man of meager stature. There was no way he could achieve justice with a small man like him.

On the contrary, Isaac was irritated by Crete’s oppressive attitude. It was nothing less than deciding a person’s life, marriage. Can it be decided arbitrarily?

“And there’s another reason we can’t form an alliance.”

“What is it?”

“Alliance is something that equals can form with each other.”

“Does that mean Crete is inferior to the Shield of Iron?”

“Of course.”

Asterios, who had initially tried to brush it off and walk away, stopped his steps. Now, the thick aura that was emanating openly, without any intention of hiding, seized control of the building of the Shield of Iron.

“You’re making interesting noises, puppies.”

“If that puppy kills even a tiger. Is it the criminal or the puppy?”

“Quite overflowing with self-confidence. So what?”

“It’s simple. Crete Guild, come under the banner of the Shield of Iron.”

Bang!!

Unable to contain his anger, Asterios slammed the table with his fist. The table, made of wood, broke unimpressively, making a sharp noise. He spoke.

“You have a talent for provocation.”

“You’re not too shabby yourself.”

“Then fine. I’ll gladly overlook it.”

Originally, Asterios had no intention of succumbing to provocation. For now, Hades was the biggest enemy. Engaging in a full-scale war with other guilds before defeating Hades was suicidal.

But to be so blatantly ignored.

If he just let it slide.

He wouldn’t be a hero from then on.

Just a loser who lost in a fight.

And in fact, this suited him better. Taunting opponents with words wasn’t his specialty. He breaks with strength and takes what he wants. That’s Asterios’s way.

Now he’s just biding his time against a bigger enemy. His ferocious nature hasn’t disappeared anywhere. Asterios pulled something out of his pocket and threw it on the broken table.

“It’s the land that Crete Guild possesses. Come there by 6 a.m. tomorrow.”

“Why go through all this trouble? Isn’t it better to settle it here?”

“I’d like to just overturn everything here. But if I do that, Hades will surely have some good business.”

“Is there some kind of contingency plan?”

“Something similar. So, just shut up and come out.”

Even with Asterios’s harsh words, Isaac didn’t blink an eye. Although Asterios momentarily felt annoyed by his attitude, he calmed himself with a deep breath and walked out.

“Staying longer might just end up getting us all killed for nothing.”

Confirming Asterios had gone outside, Isaac clicked his tongue disapprovingly and picked up something that had fallen onto the table. It was a map made of dried animal hide.

“Seems to be Gideon’s exterior.”

“Could it be a lure?”

“It might be, or it might not be.”

Isaac nodded in agreement with Zig’s rational guess. But what did it matter? Whether it was a trap or not, facing it head-on would solve everything. Sophia clicked her tongue.

“This time, there didn’t seem to be any other choice.”

“Thank you. Master.”

Unusually, Hans even bowed his head in gratitude towards Isaac this time. Thanks to that, Diego smirked. His reaction wasn’t the usual; why was he behaving that way?

“If Master had accepted the proposal, who would have been sent to the Creta Guild?”

“Ah…!”

After Phileas, who had been silently observing from behind, dropped a hint, Diego could finally catch on. Right, if the Master had accepted that proposal.

The one sent to the Creta Guild would have been Senior Sophia. That was the only possibility. There was no other adult woman within the guild besides her.

“If it had been an ordinary guild, they would have gladly handed her over. Especially now, facing such a formidable enemy.”

“But Master didn’t.”

“That’s exactly it.”

“How do you know that so well, Phileas?”

“I come from a royal background, in a way. I almost had a strategic marriage when I was seven.”

He barely escaped with his brother’s help back then.

But because of that, Phileas understood the importance of strategic marriages very well. It was essentially a token of trust. A symbol that neither party would betray the other.

Especially when the other party was the established Creta Guild.

Just thinking about the fact that they had fought Hades for five years straight. The power of Creta was undeniably proven. Yet, the Master had rejected such an opportunity.

For nothing else.

But solely for family.

“Me, a loyalist, recommending a harem? Unforgivable.”

Hmm.

Let’s keep this fact a secret for everyone’s sake.

* * *

The next morning, at dawn.

Isaac headed to the location Asterios mentioned with the guild members. Although Isaac insisted on going alone, the guild members were not the type to simply leave him be.

There could be a trap, just in case. Of course, considering the stature of the Cretan guild, the likelihood of a trap was low. However, sending the master alone to Saja was out of the question.

After walking for a while outside Gideon, all vegetation and everything else disappeared. Only a barren land remained. Las surveyed the surroundings, checking for enemy movements.

“I don’t see anything suspicious.”

“If Las says so, then it must be fine.”

“You’ve become quite the scout, Las.”

Las had suddenly gained recognition as a scout within the guild. A skilled scout was a great asset to the guild, helping to avoid traps and conserve resources.

“Did you think we would set up a trap?”

“Here they come. Damn bastards.”

Isaac didn’t hide his open hostility, but strangely, it endeared him to Asterios. At least, a confident attitude from anywhere was appreciated.

Behind Asterios were four women. Behind them, individuals who seemed to be giants formed a formation. Asterios chuckled and opened his mouth.

“I talked to my wives. Yesterday, I seemed too excited.”

From Noble mtl dot com

“So?”

“If you apologize nicely, I have no intention of making it an issue anymore. What do you think?”

“You already know the answer, don’t you?”

“Indeed.”

In fact, Asterios already knew the answer. Among those who crossed the wall, such things happened. If they couldn’t find a satisfying answer, there was no compromise. That man would be the same.

Even now, flames seemed to burn in his eyes.

‘As a faithful lover, I cannot tolerate it.’

Let’s overlook for now why they are burning.

From the beginning, men are such simple beings. But because they are simple, they can resolve things quickly. Having made up his mind, Asterios smiled and flicked his fingers.

Kwoong! Kwaahh!

Vibrations occurred in the ground. Gradually, rocks emerged from the ground, not just shaking the ground. Upon closer inspection, the ground itself was moving.

“What on earth is this?!”

“Hans! Sophia! Take care of the newcomers and the children!”

Isaac’s shout prompted Hans and Sophia to react. They each took care of the newcomers and the children, dividing the steel shields into three groups.

The rocks that erupted from the ground eventually became a massive barrier. Finally, a giant rock falling from the sky became the ceiling blocking the sky. What was completed was a maze.

“Damn, are they trying to isolate us from each other?”

“Master!”

“Calm down. Understanding the situation comes first now.”

Hans bit his lip at Zeke’s cold advice. It was frustrating, but he couldn’t deny the truth in those words. Guild members other than the Master could easily get seriously injured or even killed with one wrong move.

Present in the current situation were Zeke himself, Hans, Lars, Sasha, and Hertz.

And the Master was left alone.

Remaining in the other team were Sophia, Phileas, Diego, Yulina, and Cain.

Zeke judged that they were somewhat balanced, especially relieved that Sasha and Yulina, who could use white magic, were separated into different teams. He sighed.

“But what on earth are they aiming for?”

“Can everyone hear my voice?”

“It seems like he’s going to explain it himself.”

“Welcome to my labyrinth, Labyrinthos.”

Labyrinthos.

It seemed to be the ability of Asterios. In this world, there were all sorts of bizarre abilities. Could it be that there was also an ability to create mazes like this?

“It’s unnecessarily noisy, but it’s a measure to avoid Hades’ overseer. I hope you all understand.”

“So, what do you want?”

“It’s simple. Deathmatch.”

“Deathmatch?”

“In this maze, there are 11 members from each guild, a total of 22. The guild that dominates or knocks out more opponents at the designated time wins.”

“Murder is prohibited, right?”

“Of course. We’re not hoping to diminish each other’s strength.”

Alright then.

Let’s start the game that risks each other’s destiny.