Lord of Caldera - Chapter 179

Chapter 179: Chapter 179

“Traditional, indeed,” someone remarked, and the nobles nodded in agreement. In the North, a large hunt for powerful beasts was a longstanding way to prove courage. Including hunting in the trials was reasonable, though the current era made it seem a little archaic.

“But isn’t it too simple?”

“Hunting to choose a king seems… primitive.”

“This sounds like something from a time before fortresses and cities,” muttered one of the nobles. Ragnar, sensing their dissatisfaction, smirked.

“Trust me, once you hear the prey, you’ll agree it’s fitting.”

“There’s a specific prey chosen for this hunt?” another noble asked.

“Yes,” Ragnar confirmed.

“Hold on,” someone interjected. “If you’re already familiar with the creature and its habits, isn’t that unfair?”

“Haha!” Ragnar laughed, his grin widening.

Ragnar’s booming laughter echoed across the camp, drawing suspicious glares from the nobles. He wasn’t alone; even Loghain struggled to suppress his grin. A noble who had voiced his doubts grew indignant at their obvious mockery.

“What’s so funny?” he demanded.

“Ah, forgive me,” Ragnar chuckled. “Did you say you suspected that we’d chosen prey we already know how to hunt?”

“And why shouldn’t I be suspicious?” the noble retorted. “It’s a fair question!”

“The prey,” Ragnar said, his voice dropping to a resonant tone, “is a dragon.”

“…What?”

Had he misheard? The noble blinked in disbelief, and Ragnar repeated, each word deliberate, “The second trial is to hunt a dragon. Alone.”

A profound silence fell over the camp as the gravity of Ragnar’s words sank in.

In this world, “dragons” generally referred to two types of creatures. One was the ancient race of high dragons—beings who wielded powerful magic and saw humans as little more than insects. The other type, while physically similar, had the intelligence of beasts and viewed humans simply as prey.

‘Like humans might view the difference between monkeys and apes,’ Sylas mused, recalling what he’d read in his family’s historical records before his regression.

‘Legend says that our ancestor, Leonik, defeated one of the last high dragons.’ This earned him the title of “Dragonslayer,” the last human to truly earn that name. Since then, humanity’s strength had waned, and the high dragons had all but disappeared.

“…There aren’t any dragons left in the Empire,” the Marquis muttered.

Ragnar scoffed. “Say what you mean, Marquis. There are no high dragons left, but lesser dragons still exist.”

“Damn it, what difference does that make!” the Marquis snapped, his face twisted in frustration. “Whether it’s a high dragon or a lesser dragon, no one can kill it alone! First, you’d have to find one, but where could we possibly…?”

“They exist.”

“They… exist?” the Marquis stammered.

“Yes, they exist—beyond the northern snowfields,” Ragnar replied confidently. “We even have a general idea of their lairs.”

The Marquis paled, and similar looks of dread crept onto the faces of several other candidates and nobles.

‘This is madness. Hunt a dragon… alone?’

‘They might as well just hand us the noose instead.’

The lesser dragons might not wield the mystical power of the high dragons, but they were still far from ordinary prey. Their scales were near-impenetrable to steel, their sheer mass made them capable of crushing humans with ease, and their tails swung with the force of a battering ram. The flames they breathed could incinerate a person in moments, and their fangs and claws tore through armor like paper.

‘Even with an army, hunting a dragon would cost countless lives. How could anyone take one down alone?’

“This is absurd!” one noble finally shouted.

“Why do you say that?” Ragnar countered.

“Do you intend to kill every candidate?” he spat.

“This is a trial for a king.”

The Marquis’s tone was firm, but Ragnar’s was unwavering.

“Did you think you could slay a bear and crown yourself king? Or maybe take down some oversized monster and call it enough? Don’t make me laugh.”

The nobles fell silent. The sheer conviction in Ragnar’s words made rebuttal impossible.

“The king is one who commands authority, acknowledged by all,” Ragnar continued. “Tell me, what other prey could inspire such reverence?”

The Marquis bit his lip, unable to argue further. Ragnar’s logic was sound, harsh as it was.

“No one’s forcing you,” Ragnar added. “If you fear the trial, you may step aside and wait for the outcome. Perhaps you’ll find another opportunity to prove your worth in the third trial.”

An insult hidden within the offer—who would respect someone who backed out of the dragon hunt? Amidst the tense silence, Sylas broke in.

“I, Sylas Corleone, will take the second trial.”

“…!”

A collective gasp rippled through the audience. Was he truly volunteering for this insane challenge? As shocked eyes turned toward him, the other candidates also began to step forward.

“I, Bjorn Beldain, will participate in the second trial.”

“I, Loghain, will take the second trial.”

All eyes shifted to the remaining candidates, who each weighed their decision carefully. The next responses were split.

“I, Doris Boden, will join the second trial,” one noble said firmly.

“…I withdraw,” another candidate muttered, stepping back. For him, the throne was tempting, but not enough to risk his life.

For others, like those who remained, the prospect of becoming king of the North was worth the mortal danger. The decision now lay solely with Karl, the Marquis’s heir. His brows twitched with fury as he finally shouted his decision.

“I, Karl Leiningen, will take the second trial!”

The Marquis winced, yet he stayed silent. Under normal circumstances, he would have insisted his heir refrain from such a reckless decision. But too much was riding on this choice. Even if Karl failed to slay the dragon, at least attempting the trial would show strength.

‘He may not survive, but his refusal would shatter the faction I’ve built around him.’

If the Northern nobles had only Ragnar and the Marquis as their options, the other nobles would have had no choice but to rally behind him. But now, with other contenders on the field, many nobles were beginning to see new potential leaders.