Lord of Caldera - Chapter 151

Chapter 151: Chapter 151

But when they reached the point where arrows should’ve flown, nothing happened. Surprised, the soldiers looked around in confusion, now standing close enough that a thrown spear could reach them.

Meanwhile, within the castle walls, the commanders were even more shocked.

“Why aren’t they firing?” The knight who had previously confronted Sylas shouted at the veteran soldier beside him.

The veteran stammered, “They…they’re refusing to shoot.”

“Give the order again!”

“I’ve told them multiple times, but they won’t obey.”

“Are they all insane?” The knight stormed over to the archers and yelled at them directly. “Shoot! What are you all waiting for? We have arrows!”

But the archers, sweating nervously, didn’t move. The reason was simple.

“Are we really supposed to shoot?”

“If we do, that lord will kill us later,” one murmured.

“He said he’d cut our taxes if he became lord,” another whispered.

About a third of the soldiers had already secretly decided to betray Philip.

“Son, don’t you dare shoot at that man,” a mother had pleaded with her conscripted son.

“Mother, I’ll be killed if I disobey!” he’d replied in frustration.

“You fool! Think about when he becomes lord.”

Another third of the soldiers were struggling because of family pleas.

And the last third were simply swept along by their neighbors.

“Don’t shoot! Put down your bows!” one of them shouted.

“But if others shoot, we’ll be the ones in trouble!”

“Our neighbors already agreed not to shoot. Do you think other families won’t do the same?”

With such a mix of hesitation and refusal, a proper defense was impossible. The knight, seeing his orders ignored, drew his sword, his face red with rage.

“You dare disobey orders?”

As the sword gleamed, the soldiers turned pale with fear. Just as a knight was about to swing his sword toward the terrified soldiers, another knight, equally pale, grabbed his arm.

“Stop! What are you doing?!”

“I’m trying to restore order!”

There were few ways to bring soldiers back to their senses amidst chaos. One of the more effective methods was to kill one of the soldiers as an example. People tend to react more to a blade before them than to complex thoughts, a tactic often used by officers to maintain morale.

“So step aside! Don’t interfere!”

“You fool!”

“What… fool?”

The sudden insult left the knight speechless. The other knight, who had insulted him, quickly grabbed his collar and whispered in his ear.

“That method only works for a larger army! Have you forgotten this is a small territory?”

“What difference does that make?”

“Everyone here practically knows each other!”

The knight who was about to swing his sword hesitated. The knight who held his collar pressed on.

“Everyone here is connected somehow, either as friends, relatives, or, at the very least, acquaintances of friends! Trying to impose discipline? You’d be lucky if someone didn’t stab you in the back out of resentment!”

“…”

The knight, left speechless, loosened his grip on his sword. The other knight, having made his point, pushed him aside and scanned their surroundings. He worried that someone might accidentally fire an arrow in the tension, but fortunately, no one did.

With a twisted expression, the knight glared at Sylas, who was standing beyond the castle wall.

“Damn it, I should have stopped him from meddling within the territory.”

He had forgotten how deeply rooted the weight of the word “hometown” could be. It was why people from the same region, even if they didn’t know each other, tended to bond quickly. Conversations revealed mutual acquaintances, shared memories, and similar sentiments. It was no different for those from the homeland of his maternal grandfather and mother. Over two days, Sylas had gained trust by mingling with the residents, leading to this miserable outcome.

The knight sighed deeply before finally speaking.

“Let’s surrender.”

“What!? Are you out of your mind?!”

“It’s already over.”

The soldiers had lost the will to fight. In reality, they had scattered, leaving only a handful of officers. Any further resistance was meaningless.

“Let’s surrender and ask them to spare our lord’s life. It’s all we can do now.”

“That’s nonsense! If you want to surrender, do it alone!”

Furious, the knight raised his sword again. Now that he had nothing left to lose, he was prepared to set an example if necessary.

Just as he was about to swing, a flashing light grazed the head of his companion.

Thud.

“Gah?!”

The knight, whose neck had been cleanly severed, collapsed to the ground, leaving the others gasping in shock. It looked as though he had been struck by a ballista.

“A siege weapon? Where on earth did that come from?”

When he looked down, he saw Toby, drawing back after hurling his spear. A shiver ran down his spine at the sight. Had he just thrown a spear and decapitated someone?

“I won’t waste words,” Sylas said, appearing behind Toby and meeting the knight’s gaze.

“Surrender. I will spare all who do not resist.”

The knight looked around at his comrades, seeing no one pointing their weapons. All were merely waiting in anticipation for a command to surrender. Lowering his head, he opened the castle gate.

Once the gate opened, everything proceeded swiftly. Sylas, accompanied by Bjorn and a few elite soldiers, swept through the castle.

“Find the lord!”

“How did these scum get through the gates?! Urgh!”

Though two knights attempted resistance, they were quickly subdued. The administrators trembled, lying on the floor, while the soldiers backed away. Sylas rushed directly to the lord’s office, kicking the door open.

Boom.

“Who would open the door like… huh?!”

“It’s me.”

Philip’s face turned pale as he looked at the door, his expression one of shock. It seemed he had received no warning.

“What is this?! The battle hasn’t even started yet!”

“Ha, should a lord say such things?”

With the army clashing in his own courtyard, he should have at least observed the situation personally. Instead, he remained secluded in his office.