Lord of Caldera

The legs of the noll, bent awkwardly in reverse joints, propelled it quickly. Fast enough that an ordinary human would never be able to catch up. But these two knights had long surpassed human limitations.

"Where do you think you're going?" Toby taunted.

With a single leap, Toby and Ray closed the distance, and as the leader looked back in horror, sword and spear flashed.

Slash!

Before it could finish its scream, the leader was sliced into three pieces. Ray's sword took its head, while Toby's spear split its torso.

As the leader's body fell to the ground, Toby wiped his spear and called out casually, "Cleanup complete!"

He sounded as if he'd just tidied up an attic. But no one responded.

"…"

"…"

Both humans and monsters stood frozen as if time had stopped, enveloped in a silence so deep it was as if even a pin dropping could be heard. The nolls, staring at the enemies right before them, didn't dare to move. After a few seconds, Toby turned and glanced at the nolls, muttering to himself.

"These guys aren't running?"

The nolls only flinched slightly, apparently not understanding his words, still paralyzed by fear. Ray looked to Sylas for guidance.

'My lord, what would you have us do?'

Sylas's subtle gesture—a quick slice across his neck with his thumb—answered her.

'Kill them.'

Toby and Ray glanced at each other, then lifted their weapons again. The nolls finally snapped out of their terror, screaming as they realized their fate.

Kieeee!

Kieh! Kiheee!

Panic-stricken, they threw down their weapons and fled, some even discarding their armor in their haste. The sight was almost surreal. Though Ray and Toby had cut down over a hundred, there were still more than four hundred remaining—yet none dared to fight back.

Kihee…!

With a final shriek, the last remaining noll disappeared into the forest, leaving behind a field of over a hundred noll corpses and discarded equipment. After confirming the nolls had all vanished, Ray and Toby made their way back to Sylas.

"Could you make a little room? It's so packed, I can't get through," Toby grumbled, prompting the knights and soldiers to shuffle aside with uneasy looks. The scene unintentionally resembled the return of a triumphant general. When the two knights reached Sylas's side, he spoke up.

"Well then…" Instantly, everyone's attention fixed on Sylas, as if awaiting a royal command. He looked around and, with a grin, said, "How about we finish our half-eaten dinner?"

After the battle, the attitudes around Sylas's group shifted dramatically. Winslow's knights, in particular, were a sight to see. Where only a palpable air of disdain had hung before, they now looked upon them with outright reverence. Toby, noticing the frequent glances, sighed.

"This is going to kill me; it's too much pressure."

"Didn't you say they weren't treating you well before?" Sylas asked.

"Yeah, but this is worse! They're staring at us like they'd open up their bellies if we asked. There's no middle ground with them."

Every gaze glistened with admiration, as if they were hoping he might grace them with a word. Sylas nodded, taking in the eager looks. "This might be a good chance. Go over and get some information."

"What, me?" Toby asked.

"They're all dying to talk to you, aren't they? I bet they'd tell you anything you wanted to know," Sylas replied with a grin.

"What about Sir Ray…?"

"No," Ray replied immediately. Though the atmosphere around her had changed, she wasn't interested in engaging with her family's knights in any way, good or bad.

"Looks like you're the best choice after all," Sylas said.

Toby Sighed. "Fine, what do you want me to ask?"

After a brief explanation, Toby stood up and made his way over to the Winslow camp. As soon as he approached, the knights jumped up and bowed.

"Welcome, Sir Toby!" one knight greeted him.

"Is there anything we can do for you? Have we caused any discomfort?" another added.

Toby looked uncomfortable at their excessive courtesy, though they continued to eye him eagerly.

"Ahem, well, first off, why is there such a difference in troop size between our forces and theirs? We're barely fifty here, while they've got two hundred," Toby asked.

"There is a reason, sir! Winslow's resources and manpower have been hit hard over the years—" Enjoy new tales from My Virtual Library Empire

"That's classified, you idiot!" Beric, who'd sprinted over, shooed the knights away. Watching them walk off in disappointment, Beric wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Sir Toby, you can't do this to us."

"I didn't do anything! They were the ones acting up," Toby replied.

"Yes, but please refrain from questioning others aside from myself," Beric sighed. "Besides, they're still reeling from the scene with Vindelun's forces."

"So that's why they're acting like that? It's honestly overwhelming," Toby said.

Beric nodded, glancing sidelong at the knights. "You saw what happened with Vindelun's knights earlier. For the Winslow knights, that type of outcome is a rare experience."

"Meaning they finally have a chance to walk with their heads high thanks to us?"@@novelbin@@

"Just look at the Vindelun camp." Beric gestured toward the other side, where Vindelun's forces were stationed. Sure enough, the knights and soldiers looked disheartened and drained.

"Like sparrows hit with a well-placed arrow," Toby muttered.

"That's normally us," Beric said. "But now the roles have reversed. Right now, you and Sir Ray seem like goddess-sent heroes to them."

In short, the Winslow knights were filled with a mix of awe for the knights' remarkable prowess, excitement over the idea that such powerful figures were on their side, and relief from years of pent-up resentment.

"Alright, I understand a little better now," Toby replied. "Oh, and there's one last thing—why were we suddenly attacked by that noll horde? Does this kind of ambush happen often around here?"

At that, Beric's face turned grim. Shaking his head slowly, he replied, "Never. In all my life, I've never seen anything like it. I doubt my uncle, the Viscount, has either."

"So this is the first time even for the western territories?" Toby asked.

"Yes, and to be honest, it feels strange. Too strange," Beric whispered, leaning close to Toby's ear. "Every time the Count of Herning moves, something seems to happen. It's almost suspicious."

Toby returned to his group, and Sylas, who was scooping stew into bowls, glanced up at him. "Well?"

"Just as you thought, my lord. Not long after monsters started appearing in large numbers, the Herning Count's family sent over the magic artifacts."

"And?"

"This is the first time a massive noll horde has shown up like this," Toby added. "Beric says neither he nor the Viscount has ever seen anything like it."

Beric had shared some other details as well—that each time Count Herning's family made a move, strange incidents followed. He hadn't wanted to say it outright, but everything felt far too suspicious. Sylas scratched his chin, mulling it over.

"There's only one reason for monsters to come out in droves like this—they're being driven out."

It wasn't a natural disaster, which left only one explanation: something powerful was pushing them from their territory. Normally, even the strongest predators stayed in one place once they established their domain.