Lord of Caldera - Chapter 199
Chapter 199: Chapter 199
Sylas, now aware of Rozier’s game, began speaking in meaningless sounds.
“Ding-dong.”
“Excuse me, what?” Rozier was taken aback.
“Ding… ding-dong.”
“…!” Rozier’s face twisted with anger as he finally understood. Sylas was mocking him, pretending to speak only to blurt nonsense sounds.
“What is the meaning of this?”
Sylas chuckled, leaning back against the wall. The nonchalance on his face only fueled Rozier’s rage.
‘Damn it. I’ve been drawn into his game.’
Rozier’s strategy was simple: shut down the other side’s arguments, drive them into a corner, and stamp them as traitors. Most people, even with valid reasons, would lose their composure under such pressure, eventually groveling for mercy, which implied guilt and handed the upper hand in negotiations.
‘But now it’s all ruined.’
Sylas’s ridiculous stalling tactic revealed Rozier’s intent to interrupt him deliberately. Looking around, Rozier noticed the cold stares from the Northern nobles.
‘This bastard planned to cut us off every time he spoke.’
‘He wasn’t just angry; he was doing it intentionally.’
‘This man is mocking us!’
Rozier bit his lip. Losing his temper out of genuine anger was one thing; deliberately doing so was another, and it made all the difference to those watching. Now, they saw Rozier for what he was, and the rage simmering among them felt real and dangerous.
‘Damn it.’
Rozier glared resentfully at Sylas, but Sylas only returned his glare with a cold, defiant stare.
‘This scum… he’s done for.’
Sylas’s eyes glinted with barely concealed malice as he looked at Rozier Ridgeback. They’d never met, but Rozier’s infamous reputation preceded him.
‘The Crown Prince’s most loyal viper, Rozier.’
This conniving snake had prevented the Crown Prince from going too far, upholding imperial authority, yet when the chance arose, he pushed the prince to strike at the nobles. To Sylas, he was worse than the prince himself—the one who had nurtured him, who would have crumbled alone.
‘So, Rozier was the one who advised the Crown Prince to declare the destruction of House Corleone,’ Sylas thought, his fury simmering. He couldn’t confirm the rumor, but it was likely true—everything had aligned too perfectly. As a result, House Corleone was destroyed, and Sylas had died a wrongful death.
‘I’ll show him hell today.’
Rozier’s presence here meant the Crown Prince was pulling the strings, and the fact that he’d sent an Inspector suggested a scheme was underway. Sylas intended to use that scheme to bring Rozier down.
“Ahem, let’s return to the matter at hand,” Rozier said, clearing his throat as he attempted to steer the conversation back on track. Yet the tense atmosphere did not fully ease.
“His Majesty is deeply concerned by recent events.”
Some nobles murmured, recognizing the Emperor’s likely unease at the idea of a self-proclaimed king without his approval. What mattered now was how he intended to handle the situation. Rozier lowered his head slightly, his tone shifting.
“I doubt the noble lords of the North would undertake such actions independently. This must surely be the wicked machinations of the barbarians.”
Some nobles’ faces hardened at his insinuation. The meaning was clear: ‘Blame the barbarians for everything. That way, we all come out clean.’ It was a simple, straightforward solution, sparing the North from any lasting fallout and allowing them to revert to their pre-council state.
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But the nobles couldn’t bring themselves to agree so easily.
‘This is our hard-won chance at unification. Abandoning it now would mean going back to bickering.’
‘And this new chieftain is no ordinary figure.’
‘Besides, the Empire’s control over our food supply wouldn’t change.’
Only one option remained: to stand united against the Empire, just as Bjorn had suggested. Yet they hesitated, remembering Rozier’s unyielding stance.
‘What if this does lead to war?’
‘If the Emperor, in his rage, declares war, it’ll be disastrous.’
The current Emperor was, by all accounts, likely to agree to the North’s terms, just as Bjorn had said. But this time, he might have chosen a hardline approach, sending an Inspector like Rozier to ensure the consequences were severe. Rozier, observing their hesitation, smirked.
‘It seems they’re taking the hint.’
The North’s confidence likely stemmed from the Emperor’s supposed weakness. By pushing aggressively, Rozier had introduced the fear of a strong response. This alone was half the victory, and with the barbarians at hand to scapegoat, he doubted they’d resist much longer.
‘Unified North? Not happening.’
For the Crown Prince, Rozier couldn’t allow regional lords to grow too powerful. The North had to remain dependent on the Empire for trade, bound to them by need. Rozier’s grin widened as he watched the divided lords, but then—
“Are you trying to sow discord among the North?” Sylas’s booming voice reverberated through the room. Everyone turned, stunned, as Sylas raised his voice even louder.
“In that case, where is our loyalty to the Empire? Lords of the North, gather your armies! It’s time for war!”
“…!?”
The nobles stared, jaws dropped at Sylas’s shocking declaration.
The northern lords, of course, had no intention of starting a rebellion, and the Empire was just as keen to avoid a genuine uprising. Neither side desired this outcome, making Sylas’s proposal seemingly absurd from the outset.
‘Is this man mad?’ Rozier thought, half-dazed as he observed Sylas. The reaction of the other lords around him made it clear they had no interest in revolt.
‘This fool has let his arrogance get to him, spouting nonsense. How idiotic…’
It wasn’t uncommon for someone to lose sight of boundaries after gaining easy support. Rozier chalked Sylas up to one of those types. But Sylas, undeterred by the cold reaction around him, continued.
“Inspector Rozier Ridgeback!” he called.
“What is it, traitor?” Rozier smirked, revealing his teeth. After all, a member of House Corleone had openly spoken of rebellion. The prospect of using this as leverage to entrap the powerful house filled him with satisfaction—until Sylas’s next words.
“I know who you are!”
“What?”
“You are the Crown Prince’s closest confidant! I’m not certain if His Majesty is aware, or who recommended you, but in a pinch, you could easily misrepresent the Emperor’s intentions in favor of the Prince’s ambitions!”
“…!?”
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