I Became the Guild Leader in Exile

65 – 12# The Strongest Guardian (5)

The smoky flames of the phone call dyed the sky gray.

The large guild alliance, Gerion, had finally failed to break through the iron shield led by Creta and Amazon. Not to mention Justice Guild, Skull Land, and even other large guilds.

It meant only one thing.

The downfall of the large guild alliance, Gerion.

How was this possible? Just a few years ago, Creta and Amazon had similar power to theirs. Could the gap between them have widened so much in just a few years?

The answer to that question was “obvious.”

They had given up and surrendered, like domesticated animals receiving food from their masters. It was natural that their experiences and strength would be overwhelmingly different.

However, this wasn’t a complete victory.

Hades hadn’t even flinched yet. It was just that they had suppressed the large guild alliance too easily. There was still a long and difficult path ahead.

Then why hadn’t Hades flinched? That was a wrong question. They didn’t need to. What they wanted was the law of the jungle.

The large guild alliance, Gerion, and us – they would choose the stronger side. It was an arrogant act, but Asterios couldn’t express dissatisfaction.

“I think Isaac has already infiltrated Hades’ main base.”

“That’s right.”

“The ending is exciting.”

“There’s nothing we can do but believe.”

Including himself, Tipolt was also a failure. They were failures who had challenged Hades and lost. So, they pinned their hopes on the possibility of Isaac Silverter.

Isaac would definitely win. There was no basis for it, but such a belief surged forth. With everyone’s expectations and trust on his shoulders, Isaac was now sweating for the first time.

After destroying Skull Land’s master, Crentia, Isaac planned to attack Hades immediately after a simple reorganization. The battle against Hades was a race against time.

The sooner, the better.

It was better to attack Hades when they were relaxed. Isaac judged it was the right time and was about to move. If only a cold, death-like chill hadn’t gripped his legs.

It felt like winter had returned. The same chill he felt when he dug up a grave and opened the coffin. Isaac’s head naturally turned back.

The black, short hair that slightly touched his shoulder. However, the massive scythe in her hand made his heart skip a beat just by looking at it. Isaac scowled and said,

“I didn’t expect you to come personally.”

This was something even Isaac hadn’t expected. The master of Hades, Persephone, had come to find him personally. Isaac stopped talking and focused all his attention on her.

At first, he didn’t recognize her. She looked different from the illustrations. However, when their eyes met, and he saw her cold, frost-like gaze, Isaac couldn’t help but acknowledge her as the goddess of death.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Persephone.”

Persephone, the master of Hades Guild and the goddess of death, also known as the queen of the underworld. And at the same time, she was called the strongest and worst hero, the king of death.

“I’m Isaac Silverter.”

“Do you want to fight me?”

Persephone, who had confirmed Isaac’s slow movements, tilted her head and asked him a question, as if an adult was scolding a child.

“There’s no reason not to do so.”

Isaac respected the heroes. They, too, had their own circumstances and beliefs. And Hades, too, was well aware that she was doing this to save the world in her own way.

However, unfortunately, they had crossed the line. They had dared to touch my family. Now, they had crossed the point of no return. Isaac slowly began to take a stance.

“I came to talk to you.”

“Are you going to talk?”

“Yes. You are a hero who can’t be lost.”

There was no enthusiasm in her voice. As she said, she had come to talk to Isaac. What she wanted was to save the world through the survival of the fittest.

Preparing for the impending apocalypse in the future. Cultivating strong warriors. In her eyes, Kreita, Amazon, and Isaac Silvert, too, were like gold itself.

“A war will break out in the near future. A great war that even the gods can’t stop.”

“…….”

“Many people will die, and the world will be engulfed in flames and destroyed. I want to prevent that.”

Gigantomaquia or Ragnarok. Perhaps it was called by both names, and it was the main event of the latter half of this novel. There, the protagonist would reflect on the choices they had made so far and find their own answer.

And Hades had been struggling to prevent the apocalypse from the start. Her chosen method was to rapidly grow heroes through the survival of the fittest.

“It’s unacceptable to be trampled upon and not even be allowed to live just because you’re weak. That’s not something a hero can do.”

“That’s right. But if you’re a true hero, you must overcome trials that you can’t avoid.”

“…….”

“Can’t you at least meet the minimum standard if you want to be called a hero?”

The weak would only be eliminated in this way. Only the strong could survive here. The strong would attack each other and become even stronger.

“Of course, I feel sorry for ordinary people. But failure is not allowed on the battlefield that awaits us. Do you think there’s a more certain method than this?”

It was undeniable that this was a brutal and savage method. But if the fate of the world hung in the balance, and if we failed, the entire world would die and be destroyed… Then, it would be too late to regret.

That’s what Persephone was saying. Could she propose a more certain method to save the world? At least, I had created results and proven them to everyone.

It was not a wrong statement.

Thanks to the policy of the survival of the fittest, the mediocre ones had disappeared from Gideon, and large guilds, as well as mid-sized guilds, were now filled with talented individuals who had a promising future.

“It can’t be denied.”

Even Isaac couldn’t deny the effort and results. At least, the current strength of Gideon was a fact. But was the strength created in this way truly right?

“At first, even a small sprout has the possibility of growing into a great tree.”

Everyone is inexperienced and can’t do well at first. If only those who did well from the start could become heroes, wouldn’t that be too harsh? Many people would have died.

“Persephone, your method can’t accommodate those kinds of people.”

“Some people with potential will grow on their own.”

“There are many sprouts that can’t grow and die.”

“If they can’t grow and die, then that’s all they were.”

“Who can guarantee that?”

Even looking at the protagonist, Zik, it was the same. If Isaac hadn’t saved him, Zik would have lost his life as an ordinary villager. Was that right?

“I believe in new possibilities and have hope for their future. That’s the path I’ve chosen.”

“You can’t protect the future with such a weak heart.”

“No, I can.”

“How can you be so confident?”

It was not a mocking tone, but a genuine question mixed with sincerity that flowed from her lips. Even she was afraid of the impending apocalypse in the future. She had chosen a certain method to save the world, but…

How can one be so confident in their own choices? Persephone’s question was met with Isaac’s thumb pointing to his chest, his expression unwavering.

“I’m the strongest, that’s why.”

“…….”

Persephone’s stunned expression was one he had never seen before.

This is ridiculous.

* * *

“Haha! As expected, you’re a remarkable idiot!”

High above the sky, a massive mountain existed, a place where humans dared not tread. Only gods could enter this realm, where a grand temple made of marble stood at its center.

A man was observing the mortal world from within the temple, using a divine flame. He couldn’t help but burst into laughter, all thanks to a certain idiot.

At first, it was half curiosity, half jealousy. He wondered why a certain woman had fallen for a human recently. He decided to keep an eye on her, thinking it was amusing.

“I should thank her. Thanks to her, I can finally get excited again.”

“……What a mess. Are you thinking of entrusting her with an important task?”

“That’s up to her.”

“…….”

An old man with a golden eye patch and a cloak made of raven feathers asked the man with a serious tone. The man chuckled and replied.

“Let’s just observe for now.”

As for who would take responsibility for the future…