Volume 1 Chapter 45 The Villainous Guildmaster and Those Who Were Rejoiced 6
Thanks to the remarkable feats of Guildmaster Act, Irankus had been defeated.
Meanwhile, a shadow observed the scene from a lofty perch.
"That was quite impressive, Act. You truly are amazing."
The evil god, Dostoevsky, floated above his luxurious throne.
Behind him stood 7 hooded figures, their faces obscured in shadow.
"Especially that final strike; it was a power worthy of a deity. And you're still in the midst of your growth. AH, IT'S WONDERFUL! I do hope you become even stronger and greater than you are now."
With a smile, Dostoevsky continued,
"Now, let's return, shall we, everyone? What? You wonder if we should deal with Irankus? No need to worry. I've already cast a spell that will erase his memories of me along with his abilities."
Dostoevsky rose, looking down at Act and Fenrir.
"Well then, Act. Until we meet again. Next time, I'll be sure to greet you as a fellow Guildmaster."
The evil god, Fyodor Dostoevsky, laughed merrily and vanished into the night.
* * *
Days later, outside the bustling streets of the town, Irankus waited alongside the Knight for a carriage.
"......"
After that encounter, Irankus had been taken away by the Knight.
He was arrested for causing havoc in the town and for attempted murder.
Now, he was destined to suffer as a criminal slave, forced into grueling labor in the mines.
"...It's all over, everything..."
He had lost his Guild, his Guild members, and his wife and child had left him... he had fallen into the depths of criminal slavery.
Now, he had nothing left.
In fact, he had become a criminal.
Even if he completed his sentence, what awaited him was... a bleak future.
In that case, he would have preferred death.
If only that Guildmaster would have just killed him... and just then,
"Why the long face?"
"Act..."
A sharp-eyed young man approached Irankus.
"I want to have a word with him. Do you have a moment?"
Knight stepped back a little, saying he would wait until the carriage arrived.
But escaping was impossible; a collar that forced him to obey as a slave was tightly fastened around Irankus's neck.
Furthermore, it was designed to transmit his location, making any attempt to flee utterly hopeless.
"...I know why you're here. You came to gloat over me, didn't you?"
Irankus spoke weakly, his voice barely rising above a whisper.
"Go ahead and laugh if you want... at the miserable end of this pitiful old man..."
To his surprise, Act shook his head and replied,
"Your life isn't over yet. It's too early to give up."
"W-What are you talking about...?"
"You aren't sentenced to life imprisonment, are you? Once you've served your time, you can restart your life as an ordinary person."
Thanks to Act, the damage to the town had been minimized this time, and no one had died.
Thus, Irankus's punishment turned out to be relatively light.
However, being freed from the chains of a criminal slave was still a long way off.
"...Don't be ridiculous. How old do you think I'll be by then? It's far too late for anything now..."
Act snorted dismissively, a sound that raised an eyebrow.
"So quick to put all the limits on yourself and to define someone's potential as if by decree. I see now, you truly are the worst guildmaster there is."
"TCH...!"
Irankus had completely lost the battle against Act, leaving him speechless.
Moreover, it was true that he had foolishly deemed Act to be incompetent, blind to the incredible potential that lay beneath the surface.
"But I'm only speaking as a guildmaster."
"W-What do you mean...?"
"Even if you have wilted, you still possess exceptional swordsmanship, don't you?"
The only reason he had risen to the rank of guildmaster was due to his talent in swordplay.
"As long as that gift exists, you can start over."
In other words, Act was telling him to begin anew──not as a guildmaster from the top down, but as an adventurer from the ground up.
"B-But since becoming guildmaster, I haven't even held a sword once... And my body has grown so soft."
"You'll be doing manual labor in the mines, huh? Well, at least your body will get a little better."
"But there's no way I could be an adventurer now... besides, a guild would never accept someone like me, a criminal..."
Act sighed deeply.
"I never expected this from you. You're a disappointment."
"W-what are you talking about? What do you mean?"
"I was thinking of hiring you, with your prison sentence over, as a Gem of Heavenly Gift."
This came as a shock to Irankus.
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