I Became the Guild Leader in Exile

17 – 4# Children of the Gods (3)

The iron shield was certainly turned upside down. It wasn’t because they weren’t aware, but rather because the members who went to the slums brought back a very young child dressed in attire similar to that of a prostitute. It was only natural.

Luckily, thanks to Zeke’s desperate defense, the misunderstanding was cleared up. However, when Sofia mentioned changing their clothes, Dig unnecessarily interjected by saying he was fine as he was, and he received a punch.

Not just Sofia and Zeke, even Yulina looked at Dig with a scornful gaze, and thanks to that, he fainted after getting punched and hit his head, sinking into oblivion once again.

“Master, what should we do with these clothes?”

“Burn them right away since they are indecent.”

Isaac also didn’t have an entirely pleased expression. To think they would do such a thing to a child who was barely an elementary school student. It was indeed a dreadful and dirty place, just as described in the original work.

“Did they call it the Tears of Moonlight? I heard they’ve been thriving recently… But I never imagined they would do something so blatant.”

Even Lasse, who knew Gideon quite well, raised an eyebrow as he held his tongue. It was common knowledge that one should never harm a child, regardless of the circumstances.

Of course, there were secret transactions happening even in this era under the rule of the Hades Guild. However, there had never been a case where prostitution was conducted so openly. It was simply too risky.

Despite that, there was no sign of an attempt to hide the Tears of Moonlight. Well, understandably so. The Hades Guild and the Night King Nox stood behind them. What could they possibly fear?

“I’ve changed their clothes. So what? What happened to this child?”

The clothes were rather shabby compared to their flashy bondage outfit. But the girl seemed to like it, as she had a warm expression on her face. In front of the girl, Sophia glared at Isaac.

“You didn’t come all this way just to pity her and challenge the Tears of Moonlight, did you?”

“No, the child followed us.”

“And you didn’t notice until now? Do you really think that makes sense?”

Sophia pointed out the obvious. Even though Dig and Zig were still new recruits, it was possible that they hadn’t noticed. But Isaac was there with them, and he hadn’t even sensed the presence of such a little child?

“I knew, but I pretended not to. Because this child is pitiful!”

Those were not the wrong words to say. No, they were rather close to the truth. Zig, who knew Isaac’s abilities, as well as the other guild members, all nodded their heads. It was the most likely explanation.

“No, I really didn’t feel it.”

Ironically, Isaac, who couldn’t actually sense the child’s presence, was inwardly amazed. He had heard that he possessed the power of shadows, but he never thought it could be to this extent…

The power of shadows.

The ability to silently hide like a shadow. As mentioned before, abilities were something that gods bestowed upon humans directly. And that meant even a mere child could receive an ability.

According to the setting from Book 3, the child had the power of shadows. However, the power was not necessarily a blessing. Instead, it was often considered a sinister curse.

It was clear and evident right in front of their eyes that it was something that couldn’t be perceived. Rather than a blessing from a god, it seemed closer to a curse. At least that’s how it appeared to ordinary people.

“Uninvited guests have arrived outside.”

“Yeah, about four of them.”

Hans and Cain were the first to react sensitively. As former knights and wanderers, they were used to unexpected attacks. Hearing that, Sophia and Lasse also stood up from their seats.

Bam! And just as if to prove that their warning was not empty, a flying brick shattered the guild’s window. Without hesitation, the guild members unsheathed their weapons.

“Don’t panic.”

Except for Isaac, who was the only one not to draw his weapon. Of course, Dig, who had sunk and fainted, was also an exception. Nevertheless, Isaac raised his hand and motioned for the guild members to stand down. He knew who the intruders were.

And as Isaac expected, the four children who had shattered the window completely kicked it to pieces as they entered. Hans wore an expression of disbelief. He never imagined that these brats would be the culprits.

“We won’t waste time talking. Give him back.”

A boy with purple hair covered his face with a mask and threatened them with a dagger as sharp as his gaze. Naturally, the guild members were ready to take action in response.

“Alright, take him away.”

If Isaac hadn’t given permission. It only lasted a moment, but silence fell upon them. The children never dreamed that they would be allowed to leave so easily. They stood still, exchanging glances with each other.

“Huh? You’re really letting us go this easily?”

“The story feels a bit different…”

“What’s your real intention, kid?”

“Isaac! This isn’t something to just let go!”

Naturally, there was resistance among the guild members. Especially Hans, who opposed most vehemently. The reason was their recent ambush. Hans pointed at the children as he spoke.

“You want us to just let it go after being attacked by those brats?! Do you want the guild to become a laughingstock of the world?!”

Hans’ argument wasn’t wrong. Even if the opponents were kids, attacking the guild intentionally meant they were enemies who needed to be dealt with unless they were defeated. But just letting them go?

“So what if we become a laughingstock.”

“What did you say?!”

“Those kids were at the Tears of Moonlight from the beginning. They probably attacked to rescue this child.”

Isaac certainly hadn’t sensed the presence of the children. With so many people around, sensing them was not easy. It was purely due to the development depicted in the novel that they could be known.

Five children surviving in an alley. They had united their strengths to overcome this adversity. Despite having many unfortunate days, the children never felt unhappy.

Because they found happiness in each other. Even on days when they filled their dinner with scraps, they could endure by seeing each other’s faces. But that didn’t last long.

“They kidnapped the child from Tears of Moonlight. Is that so?”

“…!!”

The boy with purple hair and sharp eyes fell silent. Could he really pick up on so much just from a limited situation? Or was there some connection to Tears of Moonlight?

No, that couldn’t be. If it were, they wouldn’t let them go so easily. The boy glanced at Isaac hesitantly. He sat there without even drawing his weapon. Yet, there was a palpable presence.

A tremendous force unlike the wishy-washy heroes seen until now. He didn’t even draw his weapon. If that man set his mind to it, we’d lose our lives in an instant.

“They kidnapped the child from Tears of Moonlight? What nonsense is this?”

“It’s a simple story. They kidnapped the divine children to satisfy certain lustful guests.”

“Well, it’s certainly a way without any trace of backfire.”

Lars nodded in understanding. The term “divine children” was given to those returned to the gods. Since they were returned to the gods, what remained on earth was just refuse.

Hardly anyone would complain about using those divine children elsewhere. Of course, a very few heroes found it repulsive and tried to prevent it, but others didn’t care at all.

In the past, one might have been reprimanded or even retaliated against. Gideon, in the past, cared about maintaining his dignity as a hero. But now, under Hades’ rule, it was different.

“Could he have grasped all that at a glance?”

Hans was also quietly amazed at Isaac’s perceptiveness. He had entered the Shield of Steel with his lover Sophia not because he trusted Isaac’s skills but for an unavoidable reason.

Certainly, Hans knew Isaac was skilled, but he hadn’t seen that skill with his own eyes. Still, it was unavoidable. If they couldn’t seize the situation in front of them, it was a life-threatening crisis.

But could it be that after becoming the guild master, he’d exhibit his abilities fully? In that case, Hans had no choice but to admire Isaac. Of course, it was all just a misunderstanding.

“Of course, there’s no way I would know that!!”

Even a detective on the level of Sherlock Holmes couldn’t deduce much from these bits of information alone. Yet, Isaac could, because the novel had already provided all the reasons.

“And witnessing the burning of the clothes this child was wearing. That’s why they burst in here in rage. Am I wrong?”

“…. Everything you said is correct.”

The boy with violet hair broke into a cold sweat. There wasn’t a single wrong word from one to ten. He had even considered the worst-case scenario, watching the sight of their clothes being burned.

“If they were willing to attack the guild to this extent, they must have been precious family members without a doubt.”

“….”

“So, it’s fine to bring them. You have every right to do so.”

“But…!”

“Hans, this is also the fault of our adults.”

However, Hans, who couldn’t accept the idea of just letting the intruders go, was about to say something. Seeing Hans like that, Isaac opened his mouth and struck at the inevitable point.

“Pursuing nothing but pleasure, and casually discarding precious lives born that way. It’s the fault of the adults who didn’t even care.”

“….”

Hans couldn’t bring himself to respond. Of course, they hadn’t done such things. But just the fact that there was such trash in Gideon… he couldn’t lift his head.

“But for those children who raised their weapons with trembling hands to save their own families… would you mock even the slightest hint of mercy?”

Mock to your heart’s content.