Lord of Caldera

'This guy, did he just realize it by watching me?'

Just a moment ago, Toby had said that the mention of talent was "something different." He could immediately differentiate between swordsmanship honed through effort and that gained through talent. It was likely that the physical abilities derived from his giant lineage also affected his eyesight.

'He has a silly personality, but his core is terrifying.'

He had played with a promising knight even while under a curse. It was unimaginable how strong he would be now that the curse had been lifted.

At that moment, Toby suddenly stood up straight and adopted a serious expression.

"My lord, they're coming."

"What?"

"There's someone approaching. And they seem fast."

Hearing Toby's words, Sylas put his sword down and turned his gaze to the road. Not long after, a figure appeared at the edge of the training grounds.

"Stop right there!"

Toby yelled, drawing his sword. Sylas also turned to look, readying himself to draw his own sword.

But the person who approached was none other than Dani.

"Wait! It's me!"

Upon realizing that it was Dani, Toby lowered his sword in relief, but the young master remained vigilant.

"Why did you come here? This is not a place for you."

"Stop talking nonsense. I came here to see how much that bastard has grown!"

"…What?"

Toby's mouth dropped open at the boldness of the words.

But before he could comment, Sylas turned to him and signaled to lower his sword.@@novelbin@@

"I'll handle it."

"My lord!"

"Just stand back."

Sylas stepped forward and faced Dani.

"What did you call me?"

"Don't act like you didn't hear! You're the child born from a lowly bloodline! A mistake!"

Sylas's expression hardened. Dani, wearing a smug smile, waved his sword around without holding back.

"Do you think you can be on par with me just because you're learning swordsmanship? Don't make me laugh!"

Sylas's fingers clenched tightly around his sword.

'This is the one who's supposed to be my older brother?'

He never expected to meet someone with this level of arrogance.

"Were you jealous of me from the start?"

"Jealous? You? How could I be jealous of something that's not even worth a penny?"

"Then let's settle this with a duel."

"A duel? Are you kidding?"

Dani's laughter rang out as he stepped forward, taking the lead.

"That's right! I'll show you the real difference between us."

Sylas felt his muscles tense up. His heart raced. This was a chance he couldn't miss.

He had spent the past few days honing his swordsmanship. If he failed to showcase his improvement here, he would be unable to suppress this child's arrogance.

"Let's begin."

With those words, he stepped forward. The air surrounding the training grounds seemed to shimmer with intensity.

"Ha! You think you can beat me?"

Clang!

A single strike echoed as the swords collided.

***

Sylas was surprised by the force behind Dani's strike.

Dani had swung his sword with an exaggerated momentum, using the power behind it to launch his attack.

However, Sylas's stance remained steady. He raised his sword to meet Dani's, pushing back against the attack. If his strike were to land, he would have the upper hand.

"Now! Your turn!"

As Dani attempted to attack again, Sylas made his move first. He swung his sword with a low stance and struck at Dani's leg. The blade barely grazed Dani's ankle, but he took a step back, stunned.

"This is just the beginning!"

Swish!

Sylas's sword cut through the air. He continued his series of strikes, as Dani barely managed to block each one.

"Hah! This is nothing!"

Although his words sounded confident, Dani could feel the pressure mounting.

He started to realize that Sylas was far beyond his expectations. Each strike was delivered with precision, and his body couldn't keep up with the pace.

"Ugh!"

With another blow, Dani staggered back, losing his balance. The sheer momentum of Sylas's movements was pushing him back. He took another blow to his arm and had to clutch it tightly to avoid dropping his sword.

"You're too slow!"

"What the hell is going on here?"

While Dani was struggling to keep up, Sylas was filled with overwhelming confidence.

He had known that with this swordsmanship, he could easily defeat Dani, but now he had realized that his training had truly paid off.

"This can't be!"

With each passing moment, Dani's frustration grew. The disparity in skill was becoming painfully evident, and he began to feel a strong sense of desperation.

"Hah!"

Dani let out a sharp shout and lunged forward with all his strength.

But Sylas was already prepared. With a slight sidestep, he evaded the attack and delivered a sharp blow to Dani's side.

"Ugh!"

The blow knocked the wind out of him, and he fell to his knees, unable to catch his breath.

His sword clattered to the ground.

"W-What is this?"

"Just a demonstration of the difference in our skills."

Sylas stared down at Dani, who was on the ground gasping for breath. He had shown his superiority, and the disdain in his eyes had been replaced by shock.

Toby, who had been watching the entire time, felt himself trembling.

To think his lord would surpass the second son of the family in mere days of training!

He couldn't help but feel admiration for Sylas, who stood proudly over Dani. As if to mask his embarrassment, Dani shouted.

"Get up! This isn't over!"

"It is over."

"No, it's not!"

Sylas turned his back on him and walked away.

"Y-You can't just leave like this!"

"Why not?"

Dani scrambled to his feet.

"You think this is enough to declare you the winner?"

"I'm not interested in continuing this pointless fight. I've shown you enough."

"You bastard!"

Sylas continued walking away. He didn't even want to look back. He heard Dani shouting, but all he could feel was satisfaction.

He had proven himself. He could now hold his head high against the judgment of others.

***

Count Bill had heard the commotion from his office. He was fully aware that Dani had returned. He was ready to stop his son from creating a scene, but he paused upon hearing the sound of a sword clattering to the ground.

"Isn't that Dani's voice?"

Bam!

The door swung open, and Werner rushed in.

"Your Excellency! It seems Young Master Sylas and Young Master Dani are fighting!"

"Fighting? Where?"

"Outside the training grounds!"

Count Bill's expression grew serious. Although he expected a clash between brothers to be somewhat inevitable, he had never imagined it would happen this quickly. Moreover, this was not the kind of fight he could tolerate.

"Lead the way!"

"Yes, Your Excellency!"

***

Sylas stopped for a moment and turned back to look at Dani. He was still on the ground, holding his breath. A cruel smile crept across his lips.

"Now, do you see the difference?"

He turned around and began walking away once more. He hadn't expected to win, but seeing Dani's reaction made him realize that he wouldn't have to deal with him for a while.

***

Count Bill rushed to the training grounds, followed closely by Werner.

But as they arrived, they saw Dani sprawled out on the ground, trembling and struggling to catch his breath.

"Dani!"

"Father!"

The count knelt beside Dani, who clutched his side.

"What happened?"

"That bastard…"

Dani's frustration resurfaced as he pointed toward Sylas, who was walking away.

"Did you lose?"

"No! I didn't lose!"

"Then why are you on the ground?"

Dani struggled to stand up. He could only lower his head in embarrassment. Count Bill turned to Sylas, who was now calmly wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Young Master Sylas."

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

Sylas nodded with a smile, sensing the count's approval.

"I'm fine."

"And Dani?"

"Dani… he's just not worth my time."

Count Bill couldn't help but chuckle at the straightforwardness. If he were to pursue the matter further, it would lead to nothing but frustration for Dani.

"Well done."

"Thank you, Your Excellency."

"Then you should prepare for your next training session."

"Next training session?"

Count Bill raised an eyebrow, his lips curving into a grin.

"Yes. I've decided to allow Sir Werner to teach you the Flame Wind Sword."

"Flame Sword!?"

"Yes. You'll be moving on to advanced training."

"I-I'm honored!"

Sylas was overwhelmed with joy. His earlier thoughts about having to prove himself to others faded away.

He realized that no matter what happened, he would continue pushing forward.

With a renewed sense of determination, Sylas set his gaze on the future.

He wouldn't let anything hold him back now.