Lord of Caldera - Chapter 155

Chapter 155: Chapter 155

He swallowed hard. This single decision could determine the fate of his house.

“I—I’ll give you an answer in a month!”

“A month? The Great Chief can wait that long,” the messenger said, leaving with a meaningful look, hinting that they wouldn’t wait longer. Lugres sighed, unable to discern whether it was a bluff or the truth. Barbarians were notorious for deception, after all.

“Send spies. We need information on what’s really going on.”

Contacting the six families directly was out of the question. If they’d submitted to Ragnar, they were likely concealing it, pretending loyalty to the Empire. Any questions would receive only perfunctory replies or rebukes. The only way to get reliable information was to gather it himself.

“I hope I get something useful,” he muttered.

A few days later, a spy returned with information—but not about Ragnar. Upon hearing the report, Lugres’ eyes widened in shock.

“Bjorn has found a dungeon and started excavation work?”

Lugres, stunned for a moment, finally spoke with a cold, disdainful voice. “It’s a deception.”

He knew exactly what a dungeon was—a treasure trove of ancient relics that could shake the entire Empire upon discovery. And now, a dungeon had supposedly appeared close to his territory?

“Utter nonsense,” he scoffed, reclining in his chair. Why would Bjorn spread such a blatant lie? The answer was obvious.

“He’s trying to lure me outside the fortress.”

Dungeons were notoriously treacherous, filled with countless traps and dangers, making it impossible to explore with a small group. Even in the best-case scenario, it would require at least three hundred men dedicating a month to achieve results. The only exception would be a completely weathered dungeon, where most traps and relics had decayed. Typically, discovering a dungeon meant deploying a large force.

Bjorn must have intended to draw Lugres out for an open battle.

“Foolish. If you’re going to bluff, at least make it convincing.”

Any deception needed a trace of plausibility to work. But Bjorn’s blatant lie was pathetic, the kind of ruse that even a child could see through.

“Enough with this fake dungeon nonsense. I don’t need to hear more of this sham. Any other news?”

“It… it’s not a fake, my lord.”

“What?”

How dare a mere spy challenge his judgment? Lugres glared at the agent, irritation flashing in his eyes. But despite his nervous gulp, the spy continued resolutely.

“It’s a real dungeon. I saw it with my own eyes.”

“What?”

“When it was first discovered, they didn’t prevent others from coming close. I was there, mingling with the crowd. There’s no way that entrance was some hastily built fake.”

Although they soon restricted access, he had seen enough to glimpse the ancient, ornately decorated doorway and faintly observe the mysterious interior. The intricate details on the doors looked impossible to replicate in this era, and the metal used for the surrounding structures was unfamiliar.

“I swear on my life—it was real.”

“…!”

Lugres’ eyes widened in shock. He knew how much this spy valued his own life. If he was willing to stake it on this claim, then there truly was an ancient relic or even a real dungeon.

“A real dungeon… of all things?”

If it truly existed, everything changed. The relics alone could elevate the Veldaine family’s standing immensely.

“Send more spies. Verify this dungeon at all costs!”

Lugres ordered, his voice quivering slightly. He couldn’t act hastily, but if it truly was a dungeon—if such an invaluable cache of ancient treasures lay within—it was worth any risk.

“Forget the fortress. I must claim it first,” he thought, his eyes gleaming with greed.

Ten days into the excavation, Sylas watched from a distance, chuckling as he noticed new figures passing by.

“Quite a few new merchants are coming and going.”

“Trade always picks up when the weather improves,” responded Rotten, the knight who had initially declined the position of Chief of Security. Though this wasn’t his homeland, he had been in the territory long enough to understand its workings.

“Do you usually see this many traders?”

“No, the number has surged in just a few days.”

“It’s a recent discovery, so the rumors must have only spread locally.”

“But that’s more than enough to reach Veldaine territory,” Rotten replied smoothly, causing Sylas to smile. He had a matter-of-fact demeanor, but there was a dry wit that made conversations enjoyable, even if Rotten seemed to regard them merely as exchanges of information.

“And the list I requested?”

“Right here.” Rotten handed Sylas a detailed document with a list of recent visitors to the territory. Certain names were marked with distinct symbols.

“Five of them are confirmed spies, with another seven still under suspicion.”

“Good work.”

Sylas couldn’t help but be impressed by the report, noting not only movements but also recent activities and behavior. He had chosen Rotten simply for his reliability, but the knight displayed unexpected talent in intelligence work.

“A knight with administrative skills, too. Quite a rare find.”

Many knights captured castles but caused chaos in their wake due to their lack of post-battle management skills. Rotten’s work, on the other hand, was so thorough and precise that he could easily handle responsibilities in a key position.

“To think Philip relegated this man to the role of an ordinary knight,” Sylas thought, now finding Philip’s incompetence all the more exasperating. Unaware of Sylas’s thoughts, Rotten gave a slight bow.

“Well, I’ll take my leave. There’s still much to be done.”

“Of course, keep up the good work.”

Watching Rotten ride off, Sylas clicked his tongue in thought. The more I see of him, the more I want him as an ally.

Once Rotten was out of sight, Sylas glanced over the list again. All of them are leaving.

At first glance, they looked like traders who had completed their business. However, their movements indicated that they had ventured near the dungeon, likely sneaking in at night to observe it before leaving. They were retreating after confirming the dungeon’s authenticity.

“Took them long enough.”

For something as valuable as a dungeon, even ten days felt like a lengthy wait. But that phase was over now. As Sylas tossed a letter into the fire, Rey entered the tent, drawing the flap open.