Lord of Caldera

Leon clutched his forehead, looking bewildered.

"Did… did I just get hit?"

The incident had happened so suddenly that he wasn't entirely sure. It wasn't until Sylas spoke that he fully grasped the situation.

"This time, I was faster."

Leon's eyes trembled at Sylas's calm voice. How could this be? He hadn't even seen the sword move.

Explore stories at My Virtual Library Empire

"It's just a fluke! It has to be!" he thought, suppressing his anxiety and readying himself again. Clearly, his own impatience had left an opening for the attack. This time, he resolved to approach calmly to avoid making the same mistake.

"If I just get close enough to knock his wooden sword aside…"

Thwack.

"Ugh!?"

As soon as their wooden swords clashed, Leon felt a spark of pain flare on his forehead again. Sylas's sword had struck precisely the same spot.

Leon staggered backward, eyes wide in disbelief.

"What on earth…!?"

Again, he hadn't seen the attack. The speed wasn't even that fast! As Leon struggled to process what had happened, Sylas chuckled.@@novelbin@@

"Shall we continue?"

"…Of course!" Leon gritted his teeth and charged at Sylas once more. This time, he planned a straightforward, powerful attack. If he struck quickly and forcefully, his opponent would have no choice but to confront him head-on.

"Let's see if he can handle this!"

As Leon's wooden sword swung down, Sylas's sword moved as well. At the moment they clashed—

Thwack.

"What…? He deflected my sword to the side?"

Leon's mind reeled. Deflecting a blow to another direction wasn't easy—it required exact control. If the force was misjudged, the deflection wouldn't fully block the blow, or the deflector might even lose balance. Yet Sylas's maneuver was flawless.

Without breaking his own stance, Sylas's blow disrupted Leon's balance completely. Another strike from Sylas's wooden sword came toward Leon, sending him staggering backward.

Thwack.

"Gah!"

The third strike landed on the same spot, leaving Leon dizzy and struggling to keep his focus. Sylas barely managed to hold back a smirk.

"You think you can beat me, an amateur who's never set foot on a battlefield?"

Sylas's frustrating "Ordinary" trait limited him from surpassing the level of "proficient" in any skill, no matter how hard he tried. His swordsmanship, like all his abilities, could never exceed average proficiency, yet he'd survived battlefields at that limit for over a decade. As a result, he was unmatched among ordinary knights. Genius or not, a mere novice with little experience stood no chance.

"Would you like to continue?"

"…No, I concede."

Leon held his forehead, bowing his head. Though it stung, he had to admit he couldn't win.

As they left the training ground, Baron Caden patted Leon's shoulder.

"Well fought."

"Thank you."

Despite his words, the baron's brow twitched slightly. This duel had been intended to humble Sylas, but the effect had been the opposite. However, a noble must sometimes smile, even in the face of defeat. Caden praised Sylas in as cheerful a tone as he could manage.

"You truly are from the Corleone family—a fine example of the legendary Dragonslayer Leonik's swordsmanship."

"My ancestors' glory is hardly mine, my lord. I am humbled."

"No need to be. Today has opened my eyes."

After heaping compliments on Sylas, the baron paused as if suddenly recalling something.

"Oh, it seems I've forgotten a matter requiring my immediate attention. I had arranged fine wine for us, but alas, I won't be able to join. Perhaps you would join my son in my place?"

"Of course, though I would have liked to speak with you as well, my lord."

"My apologies; this matter is unavoidable."

Their gazes met briefly. The baron's mention of a wine gathering was an invitation to converse in confidence, yet by sending his son in his place, he was making it clear this discussion wouldn't represent the official stance of the Winslow family.

"Ah, a true noble."

After seeing his direct and straightforward father for so long, it was refreshing for Sylas to see the subtleties of noble behavior. Nobility, after all, was inherently political.

"Leon, I'd like you to host Sir Sylas in my stead."

"Of course, Father. I won't bring shame to our family name."

Leon smiled brightly as he accepted his father's instructions, causing Sylas to click his tongue in amusement.

"He's still smiling, even with that red mark on his forehead."

In terms of swordsmanship, Leon had much to learn, but in political insight, he was already his father's equal.

Sylas followed Leon to the reception room, where fine wine and light refreshments had already been prepared. Evidently, it had been set up well before the duel ended.

"This wine is from the Lergren region in the South. Its aroma is quite pleasant."

With a brief explanation, Leon poured their glasses. The wine was indeed rich in both flavor and aroma. After they each took a sip, the real conversation began.

"I've heard much about your accomplishments, Sir Sylas."

"I simply did my duty as a knight."

"What did you think of the western territories as you traveled?"

"There were quite a lot of monsters."

It was the same response he had given to Beric. There was no creativity in his answer, but honestly, it was hard to find anything else to say. Everywhere he went, it was monsters, monsters, and more monsters. In these troublesome lands, anyone would associate the western territories with monsters.

"You're correct. The West is indeed a land of hardships and, as such, always yearns for powerful knights."

"Like Sir Ray, for example?"

"Precisely."

Leon looked directly at Sylas as he spoke.

"Lately, the monster situation has worsened. I always think about how reassuring it would be to have someone like my sister with us."

"Unfortunate indeed. One can only hope for another knight like her someday."

Despite Sylas's clear refusal, Leon's face stiffened slightly. He quickly forced a smile and took another sip of wine.

"Well, wouldn't it be even more reassuring if someone who's already here took up the role?"