“Let me make this offer to you again. Join the Silver Tooth Mercenary Guild. we have hundreds of B rank members, and several A rank members. With us backing you, few people will be willing to pick trouble with you.” Leon sighed at Richard’s words. He had expected the man to bring up this proposal again.
“I have told you already, but I will say it again. I do not accept your offer.” Leon said with a polite shake of his head.
“…You really won’t join us, huh?” Richard sighed in defeat, and Kevin shook his head. “Fine, then. At least, tell me where you will go now. Leaving Fort Bender is the least safest thing to do with all the heat you have gathered right now.” The man asked.
“I will be returning home.” Leon replied. He had switched back to his human form, although it was not necessary, but as it was day time, he did not want to give the innocent bystanders heart attacks.
“Home? Where is that?” Richard was confused.
“The Desolate Lands.” Leon simply replied and turned around to leave, with his hundred-plus followers behind him. Nedra walked beside him with a hop in her steps.
“The Desolate Lands?” Richard’s head snapped to look at Kevin beside him, but Kevin was just as confused. “Does that mean that he comes from the Demon Continent?”
“No idea.” The shorter man shook his head and turned around. With Leon leaving, they also had nothing to do here. The only reason they had not left immediately was because Richard had wanted to try one more time to get Leon to join their guild. But he had failed once more.
The two shook their heads in defeat as this was a grand loss. They then walked away with Moria following by Richard, leaving the gates of the city to go and talk to Gustavo.
Meanwhile, another party was waiting for Leon outside the city’s gates.
“Sir Leon!” Curtis waved and Leon walked over to the carriage.
“Hello.” Leon nodded. “Are you leaving already?”
“Yes, we originally came here while doing some missions and then we decided to challenge Divinity’s Bout from here. But now, we will be returning home.” Curtis nodded with a smile.
“Oh, that is good. Well, safe journey, perhaps we will cross paths again.” Leon waved.
“Hold on, Sir Leon.” Curtis spoke again. “You probably don’t trust me, but I believe I can trust you. Therefore, I want to extend this offer to you. Become a retainer of the Gladius Family, you won’t regret it.”
Curtis had already planned on extending this offer to Leon before, but he had been a bit hesitant. The Gladius family was not lacking C rank fighters at all. But when he had witnessed Leon’s power the night before, he had been certain. That he must try his best to get Leon over to his family’s side.
“Thank you, but I’m not interested in joining your family as a retainer.” Leon shook his head. He had already made up his mind. He would not be joining any other organizations. Instead, he would build his own power bloc and gather followers that could increase his influence. If he joined another organization, it would just render all of his efforts moot.
“What?!” Curtis was surprised. He did not think that Leon would turn down his offer. Of course, he had no idea that Leon had already turned down Richard’s offer, or else he would not have tried to make Leon an offer in the first place.
“I do not plan on joining any organizations of families. I have my own plan. I appreciate the offer, though.” Leon smiled. “Till when next we meet.” He turned around to go, but another call of his name made his stop.
With a frustrated look on his face, Leon spun around, a vein pulsing on his forehead. But that look vanished when he saw who it was that had stopped him.
“Oh, Elena. Good morning.” Leon smiled. The red haired girl was approaching him with a bounce in her step. The shiny ring that Michael and the other Gods had gifted to her was on her finger, but those who were unaware of its significance would think it was an ordinary ring.
“Morning!” The red haired girl beamed. “Are you returning now? Or are you heading off to some other place?” She asked.
“I will be returning to the Desolate Lands.” Leon expressed his intentions.
“Oh, then why don’t we go together?” She proposed, wringing her wrists behind her back.
‘She’s flustered? Why?’ Leon thought to himself with surprise.
‘She likes you, idiot.’ Nedra chided mentally.
‘How would you know that? I didn’t think the the millipede specie had feelings like that.’ Leon bit back in a snarky tone.
‘Bah! You don’t know anything, dumb-dumb!’ Nedra replied and went quiet.
“Uhm… Sure?” Leon scratched his head. He did not mind it one bit. In fact, this would be a better way for him to get to know her! By now, she had already found out that Leon was the same Undead that she had run away from in the ruins of that town. She probably felt a bit embarrassed about it, but there was nothing she could do about it.
After speaking, Leon turned to look to the side. There, a caravan of carriages and wagons were waiting. He had rented this convoy to serve as his transport back to the Desolate Lands. The carriages were not just for himself and some valuable resources that he had bought from Fort Bender, but would also serve as the transportation for the hundred-plus people that would be following him back home.
They had made their peace with their departure by now and had fully decided to follow Leon. Although a few of them had chosen to follow him because most of the others were doing so, they could only make peace with their decision. It was too late to change their minds. As for any loved ones they had within the Empire, they could only pray that nothing ill would come of them.