I Became the Guild Leader in Exile

22 – 5# Lion King of the Valley (2)

At the Nemea Fortress, the wailing of the wounded never ceased. Thanks to that, the atmosphere in the fortress was at its worst. Even the merchants, who could earn money the longer they stayed, were reluctant to be there.

The amputated victims played a dreadful cacophony like broken instruments. They were somewhat lucky compared to the silently decaying corpses. No, it might be the other way around.

The original description was not an exaggeration at all. Silent corpses decaying between the wounded and those wounded playing a horrifying noise. Zeke did not turn away from them and observed them all.

Initially, Isaac tried to shield Zeke’s eyes. Instead, Zeke refused. He had to take in every sight of the carnage. He couldn’t turn away. That’s what Zeke thought a hero should do.

‘What is he thinking?’

Zeke was pondering something deeply in his mind. Though a considerable amount of time had passed, Isaac said nothing, just observed. He’s the protagonist; he’ll handle it.

‘Something feels off.’

Thanks to that, Zeke could notice the oddity. No matter how you looked at it, Nemea Fortress wouldn’t be this untouched even if it were to be surrounded by lions right now. The number of wounded was too high.

If they were at least evenly matched or had the upper hand, the morale in the fortress wouldn’t be this bad. But the soldiers’ morale was at its worst. There were even those trembling in fear.

Nevertheless, the fortress had not been captured yet. Zeke felt instinctively that he had to focus on that. Zeke, who woke up from his reverie, spoke with a puzzled expression.

“Uh, sorry! Master!”

“No, it’s not that. What were you thinking about this mission?”

“I was thinking about how to resolve this request.”

“And? Did you come to a conclusion?”

“I think we need to meet both of them in person to know.”

“That’s the right answer.”

After much consideration, Zeke’s chosen answer was the most ideal one. Of course, it would be more convenient to just listen to one side and work, but that couldn’t be considered the right answer. At least for a hero.

Zeke looked at Isaac with a newfound admiration. Letting him think and realize things on his own. He finally understood the meaning of those words. Yes, this is how it should be.

You can’t become independent by just receiving from others. But Isaac taught him to think on his own while staying by his side. As if it’s okay to make mistakes.

Thanks to that, Zeke felt his confidence surging like lava. Without breaking the momentum, Zeke was the first to find the fortress’s command post. It was a very old command post, much like a makeshift shelter for soldiers.

“Who goes there?”

“Who are you?”

“Isaac Silverter, on a mission from Gideon.”

“I’m Zeke!”

With unusually light brown hair tied back and eyes behind glasses narrowing as if not sweet, the officer finally relaxed as if scrutinizing after hearing their introductions. Only then did a smile appear on his lips, but for some reason, Zeke felt a strange discomfort there.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Staff Mac Clinton.”

“Where is the commander of the fortress?”

“Is there something you need, Commander?”

“I wanted to meet you in person and hear the details.”

“If that’s the case, I’m available too. How about a cup of tea first?”

The words flowed naturally like a clear stream, effortlessly settling them in their seats. After a moment, tea prepared by Mac appeared in front of them. Soon, a fragrant aroma filled the interior of the tent.

“It has such a wonderful fragrance!”

“Indeed? We brewed it using leaves from the Hongyeol tree, which is difficult to find even in the Micus Kingdom.”

“Hongyeol tree?”

“It’s called the tree that embraces the sun. It is said that if you use its leaves as herbal medicine, you can treat any illness.”

“Brewing it into tea doesn’t sound bad at all.”

Although Mac had brought the teacup with effort, Isaac and Zick didn’t even touch it. But Mac didn’t mind. And Zick was carefully observing that scene.

“Where should I begin?”

“From the beginning to the end.”

“Well, actually, there isn’t much to tell. They suddenly attacked the fortress, and we are barely defending against their assault.”

“Is there truly no reason at all?”

“If I were to guess, it might be because of the abolition of the peace policy.”

Mac went on talking at length. To summarize, the commander of the Nemea Fortress had implemented a peace policy towards the lions, but the newly appointed commander abolished that policy.

As grievances piled up, it eventually led to war. It was a story that made sense enough, but in the middle of it, Isaac abruptly interrupted and stood up from his seat.

“I’ve heard enough of the story.”

“Are you planning to retaliate immediately?”

“Of course. That’s why I came.”

“That’s impressive. If you handle the task properly, you will definitely receive compensation.”

Wary of prolonging the conversation unnecessarily, Isaac, along with Zick, stepped out of the tent. Outside, the sun was already setting. Isaac clicked his tongue. How long had it been?

“You look unconvinced.”

“To be honest, something feels off.”

“What was so strange about it?”

“Well, I don’t really know… but it feels strange!”

That was the most Zick could express at the moment. He couldn’t fully trust himself. But he couldn’t explain the reason either. More precisely, he couldn’t express it with his current knowledge.

“So, you’ve realized that on your own. Good job.”

“T-Thank you.”

“But now, let me explain the reason to you.”

“When I was still young, it was essential to achieve high scores.”

I was worried that he might notice it first this time too. Fortunately, it seemed like he wasn’t aware of it until then. Isaac inwardly sighed with relief, while outwardly explaining the reason as casually as possible.

“What you’re feeling strange about is because the atmosphere is different.”

“Yes, that’s right. It felt like that!”

“Just look around here. Outside, the wounded are moaning and dying, and that guy is brewing herbal tea with tea leaves.”

It’s not that there’s a shortage. Even if you use the leaves of the red fever tree as herbal medicine, you could probably get a few hundred. But that guy is brewing and drinking it alone. Isn’t that outrageous already?

“And, no matter what the story is, he kept saying it’s all the commander’s fault.”

“Yes, so is it the commander’s fault? I found myself thinking that too.”

“Yeah, even though we haven’t met him.”

Zeke continued to nod with a satisfied expression. It felt like scratching an itchy spot. He wanted to say something, but the frustration of not being able to speak due to limited knowledge was overwhelming.

“Indeed, Master! You saw through it from the beginning!”

However, Isaac not only relieved Zeke’s frustration but also revealed everything that Zeke hadn’t even thought of. How could Zeke not admire and learn from the Master?

“Phew, how did I handle it? I hope it didn’t show.”

Of course, Isaac’s keen perception wasn’t that exceptional. He simply repeated the descriptions he had read in novels. So, he was anxiously watching his surroundings, trying to be discreet.

“Then let’s go find the commander right away!”

“There’s no need for that.”

“What?”

“He’s right in front of us.”

Upon hearing Isaac’s words, Zeke raised his head. There was a man covered in blood. He was a middle-aged man with a small stature and grayish-white hair that almost looked white.

He seemed to have suffered a lot. His face was full of wrinkles, and one could easily mistake him for an old man. Plus, wearing an unimpressive armor made him seem like anything but a commander.

“A new face, huh? Are you a recruit?”

“I’m Isaac Silverthorn, here on a mission from the Iron Shield.”

“At least I won’t have to personally clean up your corpses.”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s nothing more to discuss. If you don’t want to die, go back quickly.”

“How dare you disrespect the Master like that…!!”

Zeke, who thought that the Master, beyond admiration, had been ignored, was enraged. However, with a slight touch on Zeke’s shoulder, Isaac easily calmed his anger.

The man glanced at Zeke for a moment and then turned his head, swiftly entering the barracks. Zeke’s angry gaze, directed at the man’s retreating figure, turned toward Isaac.

“Master! We must sever the limbs of such disrespectful people!”

“Where on earth did you learn such violent words?”

“I learned it from Dig.”

“When I go back, I need to handle things properly this time. Anyway, that man’s rudeness is rudeness with enough reason.”

“What does that mean?”

Ziek strongly rebuked Isaac, who swore to handle Dig properly when he returned. From Ziek’s perspective, disrespect towards the master was absolutely unforgivable.

“That man’s armor and the blood on his hands were not his own.”

“What do you mean…?”

“Furthermore, ponder on what that man just said.”

[At least I won’t have to personally clean up your corpses.]

Only then did Ziek realize. The sharpness that had been obscured by anger finally regained its clarity. The reason for being absent as a commander, and the reason for the blood.

“That man is not only the highest commander but also personally takes care of the wounded, and even buries the corpses himself.”

“…”

“How can you blame such a man?”

“…I’m sorry, Master.”

“If you’ve realized it now, it’s enough.”

Ziek obediently bowed his head. Isaac was satisfied with this, but that wasn’t Ziek’s intention. Even if he tried to understand in his mind, he couldn’t accept it.

‘Daring to… to my master!!’

No, it would be more accurate to express it as something he couldn’t forgive. Like a dark flame, a dark fire was eating away at Ziek’s heart. Ziek still didn’t know exactly what it was.

“Anyway, all that’s left now are the lions.”

“How do you plan to meet them?”

“That’s obvious.”

For a moment, Ziek forgot about those emotions and focused on the master. Surely, the master would have a solution. However, that trust didn’t last long. Isaac confidently spoke.

“We’re going head-on.”

“What? Head-on?”

Nod.

“It’s not a nod!! Going head-on against lions! That’s just like suicide!!”

Ziek desperately tried to argue against Isaac, who nodded heavily. Just by looking at the current situation of the fortress, even a three-year-old could tell that a head-on approach was not the answer.

“Sometimes, you have to follow your heart, not your head.”

“…”

“That’s what makes a man.”

Ziek looked at Isaac with a cold gaze.

However, Isaac did not withdraw his intention.

Not hiding, not fleeing, not turning away.

Like a man. Head-on.