Lord of Caldera - Chapter 235

Chapter 235: Chapter 235

After breakfast, Eldira pulled Rey aside into a room, and the two spoke for quite some time. When they finally emerged, Rey’s face was flushed red, and for the rest of the day, she couldn’t help but smile whenever she looked at Sylas.

While all the elves were shocked by the outcome of the duel, no one was more astonished than Max from Sylas’s group. Once things settled down, Max practically yelled at Sylas, his eyes wide in disbelief.

“What was that!? Have you always been that strong?”

“No, I wasn’t always this powerful. But I did eat some ‘nourishing food’ up north.”

“What kind of food makes someone transcend humanity like that?!”

“A dragon’s heart.”

“A dr-dragon’s heart…!”

Sylas calmly recounted his experiences up north—how he’d participated in the selection of the Northern King, consumed the dragon’s heart as part of the first trial, and awakened his new power. He also described how he’d gone on to defeat several dragons with that strength. After listening to the full story, Max’s jaw practically hit the floor. It took him a while to regain his composure, and when he did, he grumbled.

“It feels like I’m the only normal human left in this group.”

“You’re now a rare specimen—an ordinary human. Congratulations on your unique status,” Sylas teased.

“Honestly, I’d prefer not being the only pure human around,” Max replied with a pout.

Sylas and the others burst into laughter, and they used the moment to review their upcoming plans. Sylas had accomplished all he had set out to do. All that remained was to return to the Corleone family estate. The only issue was that Sylas’s squire training period was not yet over.

“Come to think of it, even after all that’s happened, it hasn’t been a full year.”

“Winter is coming soon, so there’s still some time.”

There were still over two months left to complete the year. Even accounting for travel time, it felt a bit premature to head back to the family estate now.

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to help people in need for the remainder of the time, as befits a squire,” Sylas mused.

“Maybe if you had just left the estate, but now it’s a stretch. Your name has spread throughout the North, and everyone here knows Sir Rey as well.”

“That’s the problem.”

If he declared himself as “Squire Sylas” up north, the local lords would likely come rushing out, kneeling and begging for protection.

“When Lady Rey rose to her position as countess, many started digging into our family history. It didn’t take long for them to uncover the past,” Leon explained.

Children born of a concubine were often shunned within noble households, with limited or nonexistent public roles, meaning other noble houses rarely paid attention to them. However, such status wasn’t strictly hidden either. In the nobility, having concubines and illegitimate children wasn’t seen as a grave flaw. A little investigation could quickly reveal the existence of a concubine or an illegitimate child, though most nobles simply didn’t find it worth the effort.

“But the Winslow family is an exception.”

Leon sighed, looking down, clearly embarrassed. “It’s shameful, really. They’ve fully realized the complexities of my relationship with Lady Rey.”

Now understanding the underlying issues, Sylas nodded. “So, they’ve grasped the nature of your family ties.”

“Regrettably, yes,” Leon replied, bowing his head in frustration. His history was the source of the current complications.

“Is it true that three houses in the West are causing trouble?” Sylas asked Leon when he visited him in the morning.

“You heard from Lady Rey, I take it?” Leon responded with a weary smile, nodding in confirmation. He had anticipated that Rey would eventually inform Sylas.

“Is it serious?”

“It’s difficult to say.”

“Difficult?”

“It’s significant for the Winslow family, but trivial for the Herning family,” Leon explained.

In short, it was a bad situation for Leon, though it didn’t affect Rey. That was all Sylas needed to piece together what was happening.

“A power struggle,” Sylas surmised.

“Exactly.”

Leon sighed deeply. “No one is dissatisfied with the current structure, where the Herning family dominates the West. The real battle is over the second-in-command position, not the top.”

Because Rey was seen as intimidating, Leon had been maneuvering to minimize the benefits flowing to the Winslow family while maximizing those for the Herning family. Yet, even with these adjustments, the benefits Winslow received still far exceeded what the other three families could achieve.

“Honestly, in terms of direct trade profits, it’s only a slight advantage,” Leon admitted. “We’re already allocating a substantial amount to the other families.”

“I understand. The paperwork confirmed that,” Sylas said, nodding.

“Yes, but as you know, power itself tends to create additional gains,” Leon added.

Sylas nodded in agreement. He himself had seen how much trouble was resolved with ease simply due to the reputation of the Corleone family name. As the proxy for the Count of Herning, Leon held a title that brought benefits far beyond what was on paper.

“Naturally, the three houses aren’t pleased,” Leon continued. “They’ve grown accustomed to being equal with Winslow, and now that Winslow has overtaken them, they’re feeling threatened.”

“And at the same time, they’re realizing just how attractive the position of proxy is.”

“Exactly. That’s why I’ve been dealing with so many headaches lately.”

The three families cooperated readily on significant matters, but on trivial issues, they united against Leon, picking fights over minor matters and drawing out small disputes unnecessarily. This left Leon juggling not only trade and governance but also managing these petty conflicts.

“For those vying for the proxy position, it seems rather petty, doesn’t it?”

“It is petty. Normally, these tactics wouldn’t work at all,” Leon agreed.

“Then what’s the real problem?”

“Lady Rey’s feelings for me.”

“Oh.”

Sylas finally understood, nodding as the situation became clear.

“They’ve figured out the family dynamics,” he said.

Leon, clearly humiliated, bowed his head again. It made sense. The current state of affairs had reached this point due to Leon’s personal history.