Now he was in front of the chief. He turned his face upward, finding it hard against the heavy atmosphere surrounding him. His father stood there like a grand boulder, and his eyes opened wide. The chief was brimming with youth, such was his newfound strength.
Despite his father’s power, Gabil dared to defy him just because he had a name and his father didn’t. He realized his eyes had deceived him all along, and now he mourned that fact.
His father seemed far stronger than he remembered. It didn’t seem possible. Gabil looked up, locking eyes with him, though the chief betrayed no emotion.
One look at his cold, calculating eyes was all Gabil needed.
Ahh… He’ll put me to death…
The leader of the herd must never show any weakness. He must retain discipline at all times, or else he would set a terrible example for the rest. But Gabil didn’t mind this. Those were the rules, and the rules were set in stone.
The chief opened his mouth.
“It is time for your verdict! Gabil, you are hereby expelled from our caverns. You may never call yourself a lizardman again, and you are forbidden from ever returning here. Leave us at once!”
Huh?
What…did he say?
He was taken by his father’s royal guard and shoved outside the caverns, tossed out on his rear.
“You forgot this,” the chief said from behind the entrance as they left, throwing something at Gabil. “Take it!”
It was a long, thin object, wrapped in cloth, that was part of his belongings. When he picked it up, the weight immediately told him what it was: the Vortex Spear, a magic weapon and one of the lizardmen’s greatest treasures.
Tears fell from Gabil’s eyes. He turned to his father as he tried to say something. But nothing came out. He was no longer part of them.
Instead, he saluted his father, face filled with solemn emotion. And as he hung his head, Gabil almost thought he heard his father’s voice:
—Gabil, as long as I, Abil, am still healthy, the lizardmen will be safe. You may live as you please from now on—but whatever you do, you must put every fiber of your body into it. Remember this well…—
—Y-yes, my lord! I will become a fighter worthy enough to gain your praise, as I serve underneath our savior.—
With this unspoken reply, Gabil turned and walked away, straight ahead, without another word. He still felt lost, but he had resolve in his heart, as he began to walk the path only he could take.
✦ ✦ ✦
After a while, Gabil’s way was blocked by a familiar-looking settlement.
“We were awaiting you, Sir Gabil!”
It was the hundred knights under Gabil’s direct command.
“Wh-what are you all doing here?! I have been exiled from our people!”
“It doesn’t matter, sir. We are here to serve none but Sir Gabil. If you have been exiled, then so have we!”
The rest smiled and cheered their agreement.
What fools, Gabil thought. The tears almost flowed from his eyes again; he just barely kept them in. Now was no time for crying. He tried to summon up all the dignity, all the majesty he inherited from his father, letting out a hearty laugh.
“Ah, you people are incorrigible! Very well, then. Follow me!”
And so Gabil walked ahead with his people—with confidence, where none existed before.
✦ ✦ ✦
It would take another month before the small force met with Rimuru again.