Lord of Caldera - Chapter 223

Chapter 223: Chapter 223

Ray let out a faint smile at Sylas’s words. Her smile, which was rarely seen, was dazzlingly beautiful.

“…”

“…”

The two shared a quiet smile, each gazing at the other. Just as Ray looked away, slightly embarrassed, Toby, standing nearby, spoke up.

“Could you two not create such an odd atmosphere right next to me? It’s making my hands curl inward.”

“…”

“W-wait a minute. Why are you raising your fist—ouch!”

Sylas dusted his hands off with a refreshed look.

“Well, we’ve seen enough. Shall we go meet Max?”

“Why did you punch me?”

“Quiet. If you don’t want to get hit, at least learn to read the room.”

Ignoring Toby’s complaints, Sylas was about to move when someone blocked their path.

It was a mercenary knight, looking more like a thug than a knight. The bearded man grinned with an unpleasant smile.

“Could you wait a moment? I have something to discuss.”

“…What do you want?”

Sylas frowned in irritation. Encounters with mercenaries like this rarely led to anything good. And, sure enough, his hunch was right.

“My lord wishes to invite you to dine with him. I trust you won’t refuse?”

How polite. But it was a barely veiled demand. Turning his head, Sylas saw a young noble staring in their direction—more specifically, at Ray.

Ray, sensing the gaze, scowled. Sylas smirked.

“I refuse.”

“Refuse? Why?”

“Because I don’t like the messenger.”

“Hah.”

The mercenary knight sneered at Sylas’s response. His hand moved toward the sword at his waist, darkening the atmosphere.

“You must be an ignorant brat. State your family name.”

“My name is Sylas Corleone, second son of the Corleone family of the East—the Red Dragon House.”

“Ah, I see you’re someone who would do well to remain unknown. My apologies.”

The grizzled mercenary knight swiftly switched his tone.

The mercenary knight quickly finished his words and made a hasty retreat, causing Toby to chuckle dryly.

“What a funny guy.”

“He’s just quick-witted.”

Sylas, who had also worked as a mercenary knight, understood. After all, a mercenary knight without noble backing could lose his life in an instant if he lacked perceptiveness.

“Well, it looks like he saved his life but lost the trust of his employer.”

As the mercenary knight returned alone, the young noble looked at him in confusion, and soon enough, the noble exploded in anger. Though it was far enough away that ordinary people wouldn’t hear it, Sylas, Toby, and Ray, whose senses exceeded human perception, heard everything clearly.

“Are you serious?”

“There was nothing I could do. It’s the Corleone family, after all.”

“Silence! To think I trusted and hired someone like you!”

The mercenary knight remained unfazed, even under his employer’s disdainful insults. The Corleone family was no ordinary house; it was the most powerful frontier family in the East. As a wandering mercenary knight, he couldn’t afford to make an enemy of a major family. Who knew when they might cross paths again?

“Get lost! I’ll never hire the likes of you again!”

“Pardon? Please, wait a moment. My payment…”

“You want payment for failing at such a trivial task?”

The mercenary knight’s face twisted in frustration. Even if he failed, he still expected payment. But the young noble only scoffed.

“What are you waiting for? I told you to leave!”

The mercenary gritted his teeth, suppressing his anger as he turned away from his employer. The young noble, seeing the knight walk away, smirked with derision.

“Humph, just as expected, someone with unclear origins has no real spirit.”

“If only you’d let me handle this from the start.”

“I thought it was a waste to involve you in something like this.”

The young noble glanced back as he spoke to a knight he had recently hired on a lifelong contract—a veteran who possessed both skill and experience.

“But now that it’s come to this, there’s no other choice. You’ll have to step in.”

“Give the order, and I’ll take care of it.”

“A true knight’s resolve is different from the start.”

The young noble smiled approvingly. This knight’s skills and attitude justified his substantial salary.

“If things go south, you may need to fight them. Is that a problem?”

“Not at all. Two wandering knights wouldn’t even count as a snack.”

“Good. I’ll leave it to you.”

With a confident smile, the young noble stood up from his seat.

“They’re quite the show.”

“Indeed.”

Sylas and Toby exchanged amused glances. It would be interesting to see their faces if they learned that the woman they were pursuing was the owner of this territory.

“Perhaps it would be best to leave them and go on our own?”

“If we do, they’ll just follow. Let’s watch and see what they do.”

Just as Sylas finished speaking, the young noble and his knight approached confidently. The young noble glanced at Ray but directed his attention to Sylas, whom he saw as the group’s leader.

“Excuse me for interrupting.”

“No, you may not.”

“Pardon?”

“I said no.”

“….”

The young noble blinked in surprise at Sylas’s blunt refusal. This wasn’t how these conversations usually went. Weren’t they supposed to respond with, “Very well,” and let things proceed?

Shrugging, Sylas continued.

“We’re too busy to receive visitors or be visitors ourselves. Perhaps you could intrude elsewhere?”

Realizing the situation, the young noble’s face contorted in irritation. It was obvious that Sylas was toying with him.

“You’re being rude. Even if you’re from the Corleone family, this is too much.”

“It’s hardly ruder than expecting us to accept an invitation without even introducing yourself.”

“Hm. I suppose that was an oversight.”

The noble conceded with a self-assured smile.

“My name is Gerard Cataldi, next in line for the Cataldi Viscountcy.”

“….”

“….”

Sylas and his group remained silent in response, causing Gerard’s expression to grow more confident.

“I see you’ve heard of us.”

“No, I haven’t.”

“What?”

“Unfamiliar name. Ray, do you know it?”

“I’ve never heard of it either.”

If even Ray, a native of the West, didn’t know the name, it couldn’t be a significant family. Though the viscount title was high, it wasn’t uncommon for a family with high rank to fall into insignificance over time. Unless convicted of treason, a title often remained intact even if the family’s fortunes crumbled.