Lord of Caldera - Chapter 101

Chapter 101: Chapter 101
Baron Caden ground his teeth. This situation was entirely unexpected.

“Ray’s name wasn’t widely known to begin with!”

Typically, an illegitimate child lives quietly within the family, and it’s no surprise that most people in the territory had never heard of Ray. Yet now, someone had appeared, declaring Ray as their lord. For the first time, Ray’s name was known, but only as “someone’s knight.”

“Damn, this will be a headache later.”

Now, even if Ray decided to serve the family, there would be complications. Someone would inevitably question why Ray broke his oath of loyalty. For a knight, breaking a lifetime contract is a severe disgrace, and naturally, the Winslow family, Ray’s own family, would be swept into the gossip.

“I had hoped to end this quietly, so why…?”

“Father!”

Leon approached Viscount Caden, who was biting his lip. Leon’s face didn’t look pleased either.

“You’ve come. Did you hear the rumors as well?”

“Yes, it seems some errant knight claims to be Sister’s lord.”

“What do you think? Do you believe he truly is Ray’s lord?”

“It’s unlikely to be a lie, given that he claims to be from the Corleone family.”

The Corleone family name held significant weight across the empire; if anyone tried to impersonate them, they’d be killed on the spot. But if this man was making such a bold claim, it was likely true. Frustrated, Viscount Caden slammed his fist on the table.

“Why would someone who’s supposed to be stuck in the eastern region come here?!”

“Calm yourself, Father. It might just be a coincidence.”

The most hopeful interpretation was that the knight was using his lord’s name for recognition as he traveled. Since Ray was from this region, it could be an attempt to gain fame through association.

“For now, we need to gather information.”

“Gather information? It’s not been long since we sent Beric. It’ll take some time for him to return.”

“My lord!”

Just then, a servant rushed in, causing Viscount Caden to frown.

“What’s the matter? Why such haste?”

“Sir Beric has returned!”

“What? Why is he back so soon?”

“I’m not sure, my lord, but he mentioned he had urgent news regarding Lady Ray…”

“Very well, have him come in. Let’s hear what he has to say.”

Viscount Caden called for Beric, although he found the situation puzzling. There hadn’t been enough time for Beric to reach the central region. Where had he managed to obtain any information?

A short while later, upon meeting Beric, Viscount Caden chuckled dryly.

“…What happened to your face?”

“There were… circumstances, my lord.”

Beric turned his head slightly, embarrassed. His face was swollen, puffy like a loaf of freshly baked bread, from his eyes down to his lips.

“Explain, including those circumstances. What’s this information about Ray?”

“Well, it’s like this…”

At Viscount Caden’s urging, Beric recounted his story. He had encountered Sylas’s group at a western checkpoint, attempted to confront them upon learning of the situation, only to be overpowered and, after several days, finally released.

Upon hearing the whole account, Viscount Caden erupted in anger.

“You revealed everything about the family?! Do you have a brain in your head?”

“I had no choice, my lord. Otherwise, they would have killed me on the spot…”

Beric lowered his head in shame. Although Viscount Caden understood, he couldn’t help but feel angry.

“No matter the circumstances!”

“Calm yourself, Father. We still gathered some information about him, didn’t we?”

Leon stepped in to stop Viscount Caden from continuing his reprimand.

“What’s clear now is that this man didn’t come here by chance. He’s here to find Sister, and his actions are a declaration aimed at our family.”

A warning to not touch his knight and a promise to take her back soon.

“This might actually work to our advantage. Now we know how to deal with him.”

“What do you mean?”

“We can treat him as an enemy without worrying about coincidences or misunderstandings.”

Leon’s eyes glistened. He had no intention of relinquishing Ray simply because her true lord had appeared, especially not for someone from the peaceful eastern region, unlike the monster-infested west.

“So, what do you think we should do?”

“First, we should silence that loose tongue of his.”

The title had already spread widely, but it was better to contain it than let it spread further.

“We should formally invite him to our estate.”

The plan was simple. They merely repeated the same line each time someone came seeking help.

“Sir Knight! Please help us!”

“Alright! I, the lord of Ray Winslow, known as the Dragon’s Blood and Flame Baron, will help you!”

“What? Uh… the lord of the Dragon’s Blood…”

“Yes! The lord of Ray Winslow! Don’t forget that part; it’s important!”

It wasn’t unusual for knights to be particular about their titles. Though puzzled, the residents followed along, and soon, even the residents began shouting it without prompting.

“Oh, Dragon’s Blood and Flame Baron, lord of Ray Winslow! Please help us!”

“Hmm, well remembered!”

“Haha, how could I forget the title of a knight?”

“And me too, please! Oh, Dragon’s Blood and Flame Baron…”

People even memorized his title beforehand. Sylas diligently responded to each request, though most were simple monster exterminations in the western region.

“Rest easy! I, the lord of Ray Winslow, have defeated the monster!”

“Thank you! Thank you so much, my lord!”

The villagers thanked him tearfully. Monsters had increased recently, and though they had requested help from the lord, they expected it to take time. Suddenly, an errant knight appeared to resolve their problems, and Sylas’s reputation spread rapidly, along with his title.

“The rumors are spreading fast.”

“Well, we’ve dealt with dozens of requests a day.”

“Most of them were handled by me, though.”

Toby grumbled as he spoke with Sylas. Out of public view, Toby usually dispatched the monsters in a single blow, allowing them to handle numerous requests daily. Sylas chuckled, patting Toby’s back.

“Well, you’re faster at it. And right now, reputation is what we need, so keep at it.”