06 — From a Man to a Leader

06 — From a Man to a Leader

Lionel and I returned to the main floor, where we all had our dinner while I explained to everyone that the culprits had been found.

“You can take it easy now. Get some rest. Especially you guys, Jord, since we’ll probably start getting patients soon.”

“We might just do that,” he replied. “You planning on using these guys as guards for the guild too?”

“Not this time. I’m handing them over to the Adventurer’s Guild once we get everything we can from them. See what the local beastfolk want to do.”

I’d considered it at first, at least until things got settled, but it would have given the criminals in our ranks a majority.

“I’m surprised you aren’t going easy on them this time. It’s sorta your brand at this point.”

“Well, at first they were only after me. But this time they put other people at risk: our patients.”

I could have let them off easy with just a binding crest as slaves tied down by their crimes, but that felt too merciful after they’d toyed with innocent lives. People could have died had I lost my magic.

“I was thinking it’d be smartest to turn them all into slaves and keep the ones that seem like the best workers. They’re beastfolk, after all.”

It was strange to hear Jord so concerned about this. He was normally focused on either efficiency or on cracking jokes.

“You know what that would mean for the guild. We’d have to treat them with respect. Those guys? After what they did?”

“Oh, I see,” Jord fired back “and what the guys yesterday did wasn’t as bad. They were only after your life, so that makes it okay.”

I knew immediately that I’d hit a nerve and how backwards my thought process was.

“I’m sorry. That was hypocritical of me.”

“I’ll be honest with you, sir. We care about you a whole lot more than a crowd of strangers. Your life comes first. At least, that’s what I think.”

“I appreciate that.”

“Don’t mention it. Back on topic, we’re taking those guys to the Adventurer’s Guild, but what about the first batch of slaves? The guys who jumped you the other day?”

“For now, they’re staying with us at the guild until things get safer. After that, I’m not sure. Might form a contract with them and set them free, might sell them. I’m planning on making that decision once I get to know them and the country a bit more.”

“Whatever you think is best.”

Jord probably had more to say, but he stayed quiet. I really did appreciate him telling me I should value my life more.

We continued our meal over a short question-and-answer session over the day’s demonstration, the spells we used, etcetera, then Lionel and I made our way back downstairs.

“Luciel, are you aware of your softheartedness?” Lionel asked on the way down.

I stopped. I’d started to wonder about that myself since my conversation with Jord.

“More or less. But I’d rather be lenient than ignore basic decency. I don’t care if the world says slaves are objects to be bought and sold. They’re still people.”

The slave next to me hummed, a hand on his chin, then calmly replied, “Let me rephrase: are you familiar with the difference between kindness and indulgence?”

“Well, indulgence is based on wanting others to like you, but kindness is about empathizing.”

A memory from my past life rushed back to me. I’d become a leader for the first time and stifled my subordinates’ own growth. I still remembered how my boss had scolded me for it. And then he’d invited me for drinks and scolded me more at the bar.

“A firm hand is vital to earning respect from those below you. Keep that in mind and people will look up to you, regardless of your age.”

Lionel probably wasn’t the only person in my life who wanted to give me that same advice. I understood what he was trying to say. Or maybe...I only thought I did. And that ignorance was setting a bad example for my team.

“All right, I’ll give it a go right now. When we set up that clinic in front of the labyrinth, I’ll have you watch the guild while the other slaves and I handle it.”

“You misunderstand me.”

“I do, huh? You changed your tune quick. Anyway, I appreciate the advice. Just don’t forget it was my ‘indulgence’ that got you out of that cell.”

He bowed. “I...only said it out of concern. I know it was forward of me.”

Why the heck did it seem like every old dude I met understood me better than myself? I let his words sink in. They reminded me of something my master would have told me. Maybe I needed to change.

Not long after, we reached the fifth floor of the basement.

“So slooow!” Ketty mewled.

“I can pour you some Substance X if you need to boost your patience skill,” I replied with a grin.

She shuddered, then flew to the ground and held her hands together, begging, “Anything but that!”

She wouldn’t have made a bad comedy partner.

“All right, fine. You’re dismissed. Change places with Piaza.”

“At once!”

The cat-woman dashed up the stairs and was out of there before I could blink.

“She’s pretty good at acting,” I muttered.

Lionel shook his head and looked dramatically in the direction she’d fled. “I’m afraid she was dead serious.”

Never underestimate Substance X’s power over beastpeople, I thought as I approached the cells.

“Hey, S-rank,” their leader said, “I’ve got a question.”

The tension in the air from earlier had disappeared.

“I might have an answer.”

“What are beastfolk to you?”

I froze up. “I don’t understand. What am I supposed to say?”

“Humans versus beastfolk. How do they compare?”

How did they compare? What was he looking for? Beastwomen were pretty cute, so there was that. Nanaella’s ears in particular. Man, those things soothed the soul. On the other hand, the guys, like Gulgar, his brother, and the Lineage of the White Wolf, were scary. No, that couldn’t have been what he was asking. Was he after distinct traits?

“I guess there’re the ears. And the tails, but those seem like they could be handy once you got used to it. Maybe? Is that what you want?”

“Whatever, that’s plenty. Listen, I’ll come clean if you swear to treat our kind equally. And the halflings too.”

Wow, that was a bit rude. I had thought pretty hard before giving that answer. “Please, that’s nothing. I’ll swear that to the divines themselves. I want to hear what you have to say.”

The man stared at me, not moving a muscle. Then he sighed. “You wanna know why Shahza’s got so much weight to throw around? It’s because he, his tiger-folk, and a few dragonewts are caught up with the Doctor’s Guild.”

Tiger-folk and dragonewts. It always came back to them. But the dragonewt brothers from the Adventurer’s Guild hadn’t seemed all that bad.

“Can you elaborate?”

“The Doctor’s Guild wasn’t twisting anyone’s arm. We didn’t have a Healer’s Guild, so they healed instead.”

That much made sense. “Right.”

“When talk started about a new Healer’s Guild, the doctors spoke up and asked the head of state, a dragonewt, to rescind the invitation in exchange for gold and discounted medicine from the guild.”

“I can’t imagine people were happy.”

“No. Surprise, the dog-folk, cat-folk, rabbit-folk, wolf-folk...just about every other race protested. And then medicinal prices skyrocketed, some stuff selling for double, some up to five times more. Things got worse.”

“So, power dynamics shifted to stabilize the market.”

“Eventually, once the government had enough teeth to do something. Now I hear the guild won’t sell jack if anyone gets in their way again.”

That explained why Orga and the other representatives hadn’t said a word to me on the way to the city. I’d thought it was weird how they’d looked guilty about something. But that was what happened in a nation of only one city. It made monopolies pretty easy, especially when most other places were racist towards non-humans. Where did that leave the adventurers, though?

“Adventurers must’ve been hit hard with all that going on.”

“Groups and foreigners, not so much, but yeah, newbies have it rough. There’s a distinct difference between the lucky ones and the not so lucky.”

“Would you be willing to testify to all this at the Adventurer’s Guild tomorrow?”

“Swear on my life. Just take care of the halflings while you can. Before you leave.” His eyes were keen, brimming with passion.

“I promise. Now here, eat.”

I handed him a plate of curry and bread, then went back upstairs with Lionel.

“What do you think made him open up?” I asked. “Ketty?”

“Who can say? He was honest, though. I saw it in his eyes.”

“I’ll send some knights to the Adventurer’s Guild to get the guildmaster or vice guildmaster tomorrow. And let’s keep the barrier up at all times for now. That man seems like he’d throw away his life to try something.”

Nothing could ever be simple. The situation was a mess right now, but I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, where the Yenice Healer’s Guild stood firm and unfaltering.

Early the next morning, I sent three knights out with a letter outlining the previous day’s events to the Adventurer’s Guild, but they returned quickly with exhausted expressions.

“That was fast,” I said. “You guys look dead. What happened?”

It was obvious that something had gone down. They looked like they could barely stand.

“Both the vice and head guildmaster were waiting when we got there,” Piaza recounted. “After they read the letter, they rushed out in a rage of some kind, so we were about to head back, when—”

“The adventurers we healed yesterday got a hold of us,” Britz continued.

“And then Jeiyas came back and told us to wait here,” Doughertis concluded.

“Well, good work,” I said. “You’re dismissed, but remain on standby.”

“Yes, sir!”

The three saluted before leaving my office.

“I really hope those dragonewts don’t start anything.”

Lionel, standing next to me, placed a hand on my shoulder. “There’s no better way to clear one’s mind than exercise. Join me downstairs?”

“Now you’re just trying to pick a fight.”

“I’ve come to understand why the Whirlwind made you his apprentice.”

Bringing up my master wasn’t fair. That was my weakness. But he was right—training was an efficient use of my time when I had nothing better to do.

“All right, but I’m getting through that shield this time.”

He smirked. “Enjoy your bravado while you’re young.”

We headed for the training ground, determination in my heart. Meanwhile, a crowd of beastpeople were on their way and would arrive in just a few hours.

I was splayed out on the floor off to the side.

“What happened? The second I think I landed a hit, I’m on the floor. I mean, I know I got smacked by your shield, but I don’t get how!”

Lionel lowered the aforementioned shield and relaxed his greatsword, smiling. “I kept a tight posture until you approached to attack, then I thrust my shield forward and advanced. It was a simple matter of making use of the Ambulation skill.”

I’d been blown all the way from the center of the field to the edge, a clean ten meters.

“Okay, but you didn’t ‘ambulate’ me halfway across the room!”

“Perhaps I did. With timing. Dedication and training is a powerful tool.”

Brod and Lionel’s match must have been something. I would’ve loved to have seen it. I pushed myself onto my feet and stumbled a bit before healing my concussion. Then, as I readied my sword again, Piaza hurried in.

“What’s wrong? We’re not under attack again, are we?” I asked.

“No, sir,” he replied, looking a little flustered, “but there’s a group of beastfolk and people from the Adventurer’s Guild gathered at reception.”

If that was true, it definitely justified his expression.

“Something tells me we don’t have a choice here.”

Lionel nodded. I was most certainly not itching to involve myself in more trouble but hoped that maybe we could finally settle things with Yenice after this.

We boarded the magic elevator. Stepping out onto the main floor, I saw that Jeiyas, Goldhus, and several beastpeople had congregated in the lobby. The healers had taken shelter behind the reception counter. They looked relieved by my arrival, which made me happy that they trusted me. Britz, Doughertis, and several slaves formed a barricade between the beastfolk and the rest of the guild, their weapons still sheathed.

“Excuse me, guildmasters, but what’s going on here?”

A human and one of each beast race were tied up on the floor.

“Ah, Luciel,” Goldhus said. “These people are the source of your trouble. This human here is Grohala, Doctor’s Guild vice guildmaster and partaker of bribes.”

The man in question had gentle features, which went to show that you couldn’t judge a book by its cover.

“There were a lot of dragonewts and tiger-folk from the council implicated in all this,” Goldhus continued, “but these people are the source. We’re going to have everyone who accepted bribes return the money to you for your guild.”

“Hold on, isn’t that something you should talk over with the rest of the council?”

“You bear the blessing of the dragons, Luciel, so our loyalty belongs to you, as is our custom. We’ll do everything in our power to help you, your healers, and your guild if it will make up for the trouble our kind has caused.”

Oh, so it was like those dragon covenants or hidden races of draconic people that were so common in fantasy stories. Who would’ve thought the Holy Dragon’s protection would come in handy at a time like this? Other than Monsieur Luck, that is.

I ignored the stunned silence. “How did you know I was blessed?”

“The dragonewts revere the greater dragons. It’s said that we were born from them, and that’s why we can sense their presence. Now you see why my kin there hasn’t stopped trembling.”

The dragonewt on his knees, sure enough, was shaking like a leaf.

“Anyway, we have all the men from yesterday’s incident locked up downstairs. What do you plan to do with them?”

“Yenitian law states that the primary offender is to be put to death as an example. Any accomplices are enslaved or fined, depending on the severity of their crimes. We would like to take them on at the guild to help with conquering the labyrinth.”

I’d expected as much but was still taken aback by the harshness of their punishment.

“By ‘help,’ you mean you’ll use them until they drop.”

Sure, not everyone could just turn over a new leaf, but this country’s laws were awfully intense.

“Their sentences will be reduced if they live through it, and they’ll be taken care of during that time, but they will take the frontlines. Sacrifices need to be made, especially when it comes to traps.”

Goldhus hardly blinked as he spoke.

“I see. I have a few conditions in that case, but first, I don’t see Shahza. Where is he?”

“He and everyone involved have disappeared.”

Despite his heavy tone, I couldn’t help but feel like I’d heard this plotline somewhere before.

“I might be able to tell you where he is,” a voice from below said. “If you untie these ropes, that is.”

Goldhus grabbed the smirking vice guildmaster by his collar. “Proud of yourself, are you?!”

I sized Grohala up. Based on my knowledge of stories and cliches, there were three potential routes here. And even if I was wrong, I was willing to bet I wouldn’t be too off base.

I stayed calm and turned to Goldhus. “It’s fine. There are only so many places he could be. My guesses are he’s either trying to clear the labyrinth, fled to another country, or hiding in a nearby village or cave. If everyone involved is gone, I’d say chances are he’s in the labyrinth. His thugs never made it back, so he probably thought someone was about to out his plans.”

“The labyrinth? Not just anyone can waltz in and clear a labyrinth, though.”

“I haven’t seen this one for myself, so it’s hard to say, but Shahza considered himself fairly strong, right? He very well could have assumed he’d handle it, come back a hero, and be absolved of his sins. Or use it to schmooze with another country.”

The smirk on Grohala’s face was no more. Bingo.

“Then there’s no time to lose!” Goldhus exclaimed. “We need to get to the labyrinth!”

“Wait,” Jeiyas intervened. “We haven’t done a thing but dump a few troublemakers on them. This doesn’t help the Healer’s Guild any.”

“You’re right,” his brother grumbled.

Thank goodness the younger one had some sense.

“Oh, fine. You take Luciel and the adventurers to the labyrinth. I’ll stay with the others and clean up here.”

“That’s my little brother! Always the right man for the job!”

“You come back with Shahza, though, got it?”

“Oh, we will! Let’s go, Luciel! We need to hurry!”

The family resemblance was ridiculous. They lost themselves in their own little world, making decisions amongst themselves like they had telepathy while the rest of us got left behind. The local adventurers couldn’t have had it easy.

The clamor from everyone chiming in around us reached its peak until I clapped my hands and the silence returned. I took control.

“Yes, we need to hurry, but I don’t know the first thing about where we’re going and I kind of need to prepare. Plus we’ve got people that need dealing with. Do you really think I’m capable of doing that in a timely manner?” I looked around, then continued. “Let’s start with priorities. First, these people you brought and the attackers from yesterday: Jord, can you handle things there?”

“You think I’m the right guy?” he asked.

“Unless it’s spellcasting, you’re always the right guy.”

He straightened his back and put a fist to his chest. “Won’t let you down, sir!”

“Jeiyas, he’s your man for anything here while we’re gone. Talk with him about working out the slaves.”

Jeiyas respectfully lowered his head. “Yes.”

The way to a dragonewt’s heart really was a dragon’s blessing. But these guys had been beaten to a pulp only yesterday. Were they up for labyrinth diving? Either way, we needed a strategy.

“Anyone with a map, information on monsters, anything that might help in the dungeon, wait on the third floor. We’re going to hold a strategy meeting. Everyone else, join my knights and gather whatever might help us. Food, potions, anything. Britz, I’m taking two of you. Lead the rest and go shopping.”

“Yes, sir!”

I handed him three platinum coins and the extra-sized magic satchels I’d bought in the Holy City, then instructed him to be sure to write down what he put in them.

“Healers, stay here and keep things running. Doughertis, you’re on guard duty. Piaza, you too, and the slaves are yours, as usual.”

“Sir!” the knights replied.

“Now, Nalia, I want you to go downstairs and bring Dhoran and Pola to my office.”

“At once.”

“Lionel, Ketty, you want to fight? Now’s your chance. You’re with me.”

“As you wish.”

“Aw, yeah!”

“Goldhus and anyone with info, with me.”

We relocated to the guildmaster’s room on the third floor. I left no one time to get another word in. It was my fault we’d gotten into this mess. My lack of initiative and assertiveness had forced not just me, but other people into this labyrinth business. My usual timidity and deference to others worked just fine for myself, but I wasn’t an island anymore. I was a leader. That clap earlier had been for me just as much as the others, to wake me up, to remind myself that it wasn’t too late to get a grip.

Come to think of it, I would never have known Jord’s opinion on the slaves unless he’d come to me himself. I’d been making all sorts of decisions without anyone’s input, and I had just finished criticizing the dragonewt brothers for doing that same thing. But I couldn’t let it get me down. This was the chance I needed to earn everyone’s respect, to prove I wasn’t as indulgent as Lionel said.

I felt a strange confidence building inside of me. Was it purpose? Or maybe I’d finally learned to rely on others and stop shouting at the wind. It didn’t matter. All this time, I’d been whining about reporting this, communicating that, thinking that was how we would become a unit, when the most important thing was so simple: trust. But earning trust was hard. Unless I put in the effort to build real relationships, my dream of living a peaceful life well into my twilight years would never be more than that—a dream. I needed to get to know these people. I needed to let my actions speak for me rather than words.

“They say clapping wards off evil back in Japan, but now I think they might be onto something,” I muttered, opening the door to the office.

Gathered in the guildmaster’s room were Lionel, Ketty, Nalia, Dhoran, Pola, Goldhus, two other adventurers, and I.

“Let’s begin,” I announced. “Our goal is not to clear the labyrinth, it’s to capture Shahza and his accomplices with minimal casualties. Does anyone have a map?”

The bird-man adventurer rolled out a piece of parchment, but it was less than well-drawn, so it took some deciphering and correcting to make out what was what.

“About how much space are we looking at here?” I asked.

“It starts off about a thousand square meters but increases by about two-fifty every ten floors. Monsters get stronger too.”

Bigger than the first one. Which reminded me...

“How dense is the miasma? And how’s the supply chain?”

“A resistant cloak or robe is enough to handle it. Miasma’s not a huge problem, especially since the Doctor’s Guild sells medicine that nullifies it for a day. And we’ve got portable food almost everyone keeps on them.”

That had to be those awful, flavorless, dried-out scraps I’d eaten with the Lineage of the White Wolf on our trip to the Holy City. Yeah, no thanks.

Next, we filled in the locations of traps, then opened up a monster encyclopedia and went over the types we’d encounter. With every page, I felt my soul slip farther and farther away while Lionel and Ketty’s grins got wider and wider. Pola and Dhoran, meanwhile, pretended not to have ants in their pants after realizing we’d be up against fire-type beasts, already concocting inventions to create with the flame-attuned magic stones the creatures would drop.

Speaking of which, I was probably going to find the stinkin’ Flame Dragon in that place. Because of course I was.

“Are you joining us in the dungeon?” Goldhus asked me.

I hesitated. I’d probably be fine with Lionel and Ketty with me, and I could always call it quits if the going got too rough. “We’ll be there. At the very back. Ready to leave as soon as it gets too dangerous.”

“I assumed you’d only be with us to set up a field hospital, but that’s reassuring.”

“What gave you that idea?”

“I thought the dwarf was for construction, and the man was your guard.”

Yeah, it was definitely hard to see Lionel as anything but muscle.

“Well, let me ask you, can you guys make it through without a healer? I saw how beat up you all were the other day.”

“Let’s just say...we welcome your company.”

Giving me the option not to go was playing a dangerous game, but somehow I got the feeling that my presence was necessary. I could use some leveling-up anyway.

“No more of that,” I insisted, gesturing for him to raise his head.

Next on the list was deciding who would be joining us in the depths when an unexpected candidate came forward.

Nalia gracefully held her skirt and curtsied. “Please allow me to join you, sir.”

“Only if Lionel and Ketty are okay with it. I hear fighting’s not your strong suit.”

“Don’t worry about her,” Ketty said. “I bet she’s stronger than you, Chief. Give her some throwing daggers and a whip, and she’s pretty much invincible!”

I’d intended for her to be more of a homebody but had no particular issue if no one else minded. How was she stronger than me, though? So much for having “no taste for combat.”

“That’s fine by me, but you’re responsible for yourself. And stay back. I want you in a support role.”

“Thank you, sir.”

She curtsied again, then it was the dwarves’ turn.

“Don’t forget me, lad!”

“Or me.”

They eagerly leaned in. Of course, there was never any chance of them staying here. They would destroy the guildhall in no time.

“You are not to act out. There will be no crafting. You will cause no trouble. You will prioritize self-defense. That’s an order.”

Sigh. That brought our party up to six. Lionel was on defense, Ketty was our hit-and-runner, I’d handle healing and support, and Nalia could be our scout-slash-cook, considering her range and perception abilities. Dhoran and Pola would, uh...do what, exactly? Could they even fight?

“Wait, how will you two defend yourselves?”

Dhoran crossed his arms and smirked. “With a big-ass hammer.”

“I’ve got golems!” Pola shot out her left arm, showing off an armlet wrapped around it.

“And you can order them?”

“Mm-hmm. With magic. They’re made out of magic stones.”

To summarize the rest of the details she gave, her armlet let her control them from far away. A single golem was her limit, but they were extraordinarily durable, so that was more than enough.

When all was said and done, we decided that Dhoran would be the rearguard while Pola would take the flank and be our heavy-hitter.

The labyrinth was in a valley about an hour away, and even if we left right that second, it would have been evening by the time we arrived, so we decided to head out early the next morning instead.

“We’ll see you all at the Adventurer’s Guild bright and early. They should be done sorting things out downstairs by now.”

“We’ll get everyone to a slaver ourselves. Not to worry,” Goldhus assured me. But I wasn’t entirely confident about that.

With our meeting concluded, we headed back downstairs to find a surprise. What awaited us weren’t adventurers but Jeiyas, our slaves, and the ones who’d tried to infiltrate the guildhall.

Jord appeared and approached me as I stood there in confusion. “Everyone here now belongs to the Healer’s Guild, sir.”

I’d figured he would leave us with a few, considering his opinion on the matter, but all of them? I wasn’t sure how to react.

“Why?”

He grinned. “It would be wrong and hurt the guild’s name to think of slaves as expendable. Plus, we can find other uses for them, like having them volunteer in our name to boost our image. The plan is to have the Adventurer’s Guild rent them to help with the labyrinth, which will cover their food costs. I’ve only given them one order: protect you with their lives.”

I had misjudged Jord. He was far more open-minded than I’d given him credit for, and I’d been unfair. He’d been there since the beginning, since I had reached S-rank, supporting me all the way, and I had taken that for granted. I was the one not paying attention, not communicating with those around me. I greatly respected him as a healer.

“Thank you, Jord. We’re heading to the Adventurer’s Guild tomorrow, then on to the labyrinth from there. I’ll fill in Her Holiness. I’m trusting you with the guild while we’re gone.”

“You got it, sir!”

“I want the Order of Healing on standby here. The danger hasn’t entirely passed yet.”

“The dragonewts are here to help however we can,” Jeiyas offered.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes. The dragons preordained this day. I know it.” He beat his chest. “We’ll do our part!”

I bowed. “Thank you. Please keep them safe.”

I enjoyed seeing Jeiyas seem flustered for a moment, then a slaver was called to handle binding the criminals. Normally, slavers wouldn’t service the Healer’s Guild, but just this once they had given us a deal that was too good to pass up. I wasn’t sure why the guy was trembling so much, though.

Everyone left, and once the guildhall was clear, the rest of us prepared for our journey. Our gear and weapons were perfectly maintained, ready to be drawn at a moment’s notice, thanks to Dhoran.

Around dinnertime, the leader of the men who’d infiltrated our base not long before came to me and said, “We might be slaves now, but you treat us well. Thank you.” He left it at that.

I had no sympathy for him, but he wasn’t going to die in that labyrinth while I was around.

The next morning, Team Healer’s Guild set out with 27 people in all, then joined with the fifty or so gathered at the Adventurer’s Guild. Before setting out, the dragonewt brothers gladly lent me their infinite spring to stock up on as much of a certain substance as I wanted.

And with that last order of business taken care of, I mounted my trusty mare, Forêt Noire, and enjoyed a brisk trot to our destination.