The Golden Deer's Reckoning
People reveal their true nature when pushed to the limit. It had been that way with every person she had ever met. Even those who held decent convictions in their own way eventually broke against the wall of reality. Yet who could truly laugh at them for it? An ideal utopia does not exist. Especially for a guild master leading an entire organization, one must be prepared to face reality more than anyone else. That was her belief.
The most terrifying situation was not having one's funds cut off. It was having the money yet being unable to use it. In other cities, one could at least find a detour. After all, no one turns down money. But this was Gideon. In this city where Hades had seized total hegemony, complete isolation was inevitable. In such a situation, if sacrificing a single person could save the entire guild? Even if every guild member opposed it, the guild master had to make the choice. That was the duty of a master.
Yet Isaac had rejected the option of sacrificing one to save the rest. From that moment, he had already disqualified himself as a guild master. It meant he was looking at the trees instead of seeing the forest.
At first, that was what she had thought. But that was Taite's arrogance.
An overwhelming aura crushed her entire body. It felt as if a towering mountain were pressing down on her shoulders. The pressure was so crushing she wanted to strangle her own throat and die.
This aura... it's exactly like standing before her...!!
The incarnation of death who led the Hades Guild. The pressure felt identical to what she had sensed from that woman. Which meant the man named Isaac Silvertehr was also a monster no ordinary person could handle.
Only then could Taite accept it. He had not made a shortsighted choice. He had come prepared to seize everything if necessary. And he had done so against the Golden Deer itself.
Because he possessed the confidence to do it. The confidence that making an enemy of the Golden Deer was acceptable!
Taite clicked her tongue. She had judged wrong. The opponent was a monster of a completely different caliber—the one who had dealt with Veronika. Yet her pointless curiosity had ruined everything from the very first step.
And now she stood at a crossroads. Would she respond as the head of the Golden Deer? Or would she lower her tail in submission?
"Forgive my rudeness, Master Silvertehr."
"......"
"Ah, that's right. You called it a transaction, didn't you?"
Even though Taite had lowered her tail and bowed her head, Isaac still had not withdrawn his aura. But Taite had her own thoughts. She lightly snapped her fingers.
"What the hell?! Supplies just appeared out of nowhere!"
"How does that even work?"
"The Golden Deer is a place that buys and sells everything. Something like this is naturally basic for us."
With a single gesture, an enormous stockpile of supplies had materialized. They had even separated preserved rations from fresh food, along with a wide array of useful equipment.
"These supplies could sustain a major guild for an entire year."
"......"
"Surely this counts as paying the price for those lives?"
The one left in an awkward position by this gesture was Isaac. The moment they had touched his family, he had never intended to let it slide. He had come out strong precisely because of that, yet he never expected her to bow her head so readily.
...Now what?
Should he demand more for the lives taken? That would make him look like a greedy thug. It didn't suit Isaac's concept at all. But simply accepting this and wiping his mouth clean felt wrong too.
Isaac pondered desperately. Once a concept was set, it was never changed. If he altered it for his own convenience, then from that moment it ceased to be a concept. That was Isaac's conviction.
So what was the answer closest to Isaac Silvertehr's concept in this situation? After racking his brain to ensure his concept would not collapse, he finally reached a decision.
"Do you really think you can gloss over your mistake with mere supplies like these?"
"Then is there something else you require?"
"Apologize to that child. Sincerely. In person."
"......!!"
Isaac pointed at Sasha and answered firmly. In one sense, it was a foolish choice. Despite being able to claim such an incredible quantity of supplies, he was willing to settle for a mere apology?
Yes. This is right.
It was inefficient. It was not the decision a guild master should make. Isaac knew that as well. So what of it? No matter how much he agonized, if he wanted to uphold his concept, this was the correct answer.
"......Tsk!"
Diego, who had watched the entire scene from behind, unconsciously clicked his tongue. He felt utterly pathetic for having suspected, even for a single moment, that the master might hand Sasha over.
Stupid bastard. Doubting the master of all people.
Didn't they already owe the master a debt they could never repay in a lifetime? Yet he had still suspected him without realizing it. Diego continued to mentally whip himself. Then he made a vow. From now on, he would never doubt the master again.
The other guild members had similar reactions. Even though it could be called a foolish decision, none of them voiced opposition. That included the founding members Hans and Sophia.
He's the kind of guy you can never stop once family is involved.
He'll treat his family better than anyone else.
At first, Hans had thought of him as a fool who searched for family even on the battlefield. But now, he finally understood. It wasn't fake. It was real. Although back then he had chosen it out of necessity, before he knew it, when he came to his senses, both Hans and Sophia had come to sincerely trust and follow Isaac.
Isaac possessed that kind of power.
Taite, who had been quietly observing Isaac, finally moved.
"Miss, could you please forgive my rudeness?"
Taite stopped directly in front of Sasha. Despite her gorgeous dress and golden hair, she bowed her head and sought forgiveness. Watching her, Sasha nodded.
Only then did Isaac withdraw his aura and remove his hand from his sword. Seeing this, Taite breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. It had truly been dangerous for a moment. One should never defy a monster like that.
Soon, the real negotiations began.
The negotiations themselves were a success. In fact, they were highly advantageous for the Golden Deer. These were people capable of cleanly extracting the aching tooth the guild had been suffering from. That was how Taite saw it.
However, there were those dissatisfied with the Golden Deer taking such a submissive stance. The most prominent among them was the elderly man Gerz, who had personally guided the Iron Shield to Taite earlier.
"Are you certain this is wise, miss?"
"Gerz, what exactly do you mean by that?"
"I mean, is it acceptable to act so submissively?"
The Golden Deer's authority was immense. It possessed influence that did not fall short of even Hades. Yet with such power came equal responsibility. Her current position was no different.
"The Gideon branch is a poisoned chalice. It offers enormous wealth and power, but the slightest opening will invite them to bite."
"......"
"There will surely be those who use this incident as an excuse to strike at us."
The Golden Deer had lowered its tail before a mere minor guild? It was so humiliating that even Gerz, her closest aide, recoiled from it.
Yet Taite answered with a smile instead.
"That would only be the case if I had failed."
"......You're referring to the request you made to them."
"Of course. Though I didn't expect Master Silvertehr to know about it."
In exchange for the Golden Deer steadily supplying various materials to the Iron Shield, the condition Isaac Silvertehr had proposed was enough to shock even Taite. To think he had investigated that far...
The terms of the negotiation were simple. If the Iron Shield subjugated a certain monster, the Golden Deer would offer them trade rights and formal contracts.
Knowing this, Gerz spoke with a surprised expression.
"Do you truly believe they will succeed?"
"Of course. Otherwise, why would I make the deal?"
"It is a task the Golden Deer failed to accomplish even after mobilizing all our forces."
Gerz reacted negatively to Taite's words. The Golden Deer had poured everything into eliminating that monster. They had even commissioned heroes through Gideon. Yet all attempts had failed. For reasons unknown, even the Hades Guild had refused the Golden Deer's request.
Could a mere minor guild possibly subjugate such a monster?
"No. He will definitely succeed."
"How can you be so certain?"
"Because in his presence, I saw the same thing I once saw in the incarnation of death."
"The incarnation of death... you don't mean...?"
"Yes. Master Reaper."
Master Reaper. The master of the Hades Guild, the woman who had claimed hegemony over Gideon. Along with Isaac, she was one of only two individuals to whom Taite had ever granted the title of Master.
"Those two will likely clash before long."
If the path Master Reaper walked was the path of supremacy, then the path Master Silvertehr walked was the path of kingship. Their convictions and overwhelming power were fundamentally opposed, yet neither would ever yield. A collision was inevitable.
In that case, there was only one thing a merchant should do. Since the victor was uncertain, she would extend a line to both sides.