Lord of Caldera

"Yes," Ray replied simply.

"Amazing it hasn't led to war."

"It's the opposite. It's precisely because they can't go to war that they speak so openly," Ray explained.

If either side had the option of declaring war, they'd be more cautious. But in the West, doing so would be mutual suicide. The aftermath of a war would mean they'd be unable to handle the monsters, which would spell the end for everyone. With that in mind, Western nobles weren't shy with their insults. Since no one could muster soldiers, there were few limits to their taunts.

"Vindelun wouldn't be so bold if they felt a huge gap in power. But the two families are considered equals, so they have little to fear," Ray added.

"This region is just as strange as ever," Sylas muttered, clicking his tongue. At that moment, Walter, who had been taunting the Winslows, turned his gaze to Sylas's group.

"And who are you, then? Clearly not from the Winslow family," he asked.

With his expression quickly changing to one of politeness, Sylas bowed slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Sylas Corleone, here to assist the Winslow family as a knight errant."

"Corleone? As in, the Corleones from the East?" Walter asked, surprised. Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire

"Yes. This is Toby Baston and Ray Winslow, my retainers," Sylas replied. He didn't introduce Max, as it would have seemed odd to mention a servant in this context. Walter's expression tensed slightly, but he nodded upon hearing Ray's name.

"Ah, I see now."

"What nonsense are you spouting now?" Leon asked, glaring at Walter.

"Oh, nothing. I just see that the Winslows are trying to salvage their dwindling honor by leveraging their connections."

"You…!"

"But those connections don't seem to have amounted to much. Three knights and a single servant? Not exactly impressive, is it?" Walter smirked, looking Sylas's party up and down.

"I'm guessing a branch member looking to raise his standing?" Walter continued, sneering. "Instead of wasting your time here, why not help someone with more to offer? Assisting a crumbling family won't get you anything."

Sylas's group fell silent, their expressions turning cold. Ray, in particular, looked ready to explode, anger flashing in her eyes.

"How dare you insult my lord…!"

She didn't care about insults to the family, but she wouldn't tolerate anyone slandering Sylas. She was on the verge of drawing her sword when Sylas stepped in front of her.

"Enough," he said.

"But…!"

"It's fine. It's clear he doesn't know any better," Sylas replied calmly, then turned to look at Walter. Walter seemed almost smug, as if Sylas and his retainers were beneath his notice. Sylas dipped his head slightly toward him.

"Thank you for the advice."

"Oh, I can't help myself. I have such a broad sense of duty that I just had to say something," Walter replied with a self satisfied smile.

"Perhaps you should set that sense of duty aside," Sylas replied with a small smile. "If three knights manage to boost our honor and handle all two hundred of you, how will you bear the shame?"

Walter's expression froze, and murmurs rippled through his men.

"Has he lost his mind? He's talking nonsense!"

"These Eastern snobs really think they are something."

"Do they really think their reputation matters here?"

The soldiers whispered among themselves, while the knights openly scoffed, letting Sylas hear them. A little boasting was one thing, but this was pushing it. Walter's face twisted with disdain as he replied coldly.

"You've got guts, I'll give you that. I suppose that's what they teach in a family that once fought dragons."

"You flatter me. Defeating a mere two hundred is hardly on par with facing a dragon," Sylas replied with a smile.

"Hmph! Let's see if that bravado holds up to the end," Walter scoffed, turning on his heel and leading his party away. The Winslow knights stared at Sylas, bewildered.

Where did he get such confidence? It sounded absurd, yet he was so calm that it left them speechless.

"Why are you all staring? You are making me self conscious," Sylas said, shrugging his shoulders.

Despite the hostility between the two families, neither moved their campsite. By now, the sun had nearly set, and in such dangerous territory, moving just to avoid each other would have been foolish.

As Max tended the campfire, he muttered, "I'd have thought at least someone would have recognized the young master's name."

"Is it so strange they don't know who I am?" Sylas replied.@@novelbin@@

"The last thing you did was nothing short of banishing a demon! That's a tale worthy of spreading across the entire continent," Max replied. "And there's even a ballad about it. You'd think they'd at least have heard your name, even if they took it as rumor."

But judging by the reactions from both the Winslow and Vindelun families, they seemed completely unaware of Sylas's exploits.

"Well, monsters are running rampant these days. Probably due to that. Rumors don't spread without people to carry them, and if no one's traveling, there's no one to share them," Toby observed.

"Talk about poor timing," Max sighed, glancing around the forest. With so many people gathered, the monsters had stayed away.

It made sense. Even at a slight distance, the combined presence of both groups brought their total number to well over 240. Even the most reckless monsters avoided attacking such a large force.

"Looks like any chance of recognition is out the window. And I doubt we'll get any opportunities to shine either," Max grumbled.

"Or rather… it seems we are about to get that opportunity," Toby said, peering into the woods. Ray, who had been breaking twigs for the fire, stopped and also looked in the same direction.

Moments later, a multitude of glowing eyes appeared in the shadows of the forest.

Ki ki ki ki.

It was a chilling sound, somewhere between laughter and groaning. The Vindelun camp was the first to react.

"Nolls! Prepare for battle!" someone shouted.