Lord of Caldera - Chapter 249

Chapter 249: Chapter 249

“How many times do I have to tell you all? It’s nothing but trickery!” Dani spat in frustration from the sidelines, but Halcan ignored him, focusing on the chilling reality of who stood before him.

“My lord,” Halcan addressed Sylas. “And might I ask, what is your relationship with… this man?” He gestured to Dani.

“That’s my younger brother. He’s been quite quarrelsome lately, and as you can see, we don’t get along very well,” Sylas replied with a small smile.

Halcan forced a laugh. “Brothers are often like that. I understand.”

“I appreciate your understanding,” Sylas replied, seeming genuinely grateful.

Dani, still fuming, continued his tirade, but Halcan barely heard him. Had he known he’d be dealing with the Dragon Slayer King himself, he would never have accepted this job, no matter the pay.

“Ah, the time has slipped away from us. I believe we’ll take our leave now,” Halcan said smoothly, seizing the first chance to exit.

“Take care. It was a pleasure chatting with you,” Sylas replied amiably.

Halcan hurried away, leaving Dani half-dazed and unable to stop him. Even if Dani had tried to keep them there, Halcan would have found a way to break free and flee.

“Whew, I escaped with my life,” Halcan muttered, his face still pale from the encounter.

One of his men, a knight-turned-mercenary, looked at him with a frown. “Come on, Captain. Don’t you think you’re overreacting a bit?”

The rest of his men were of fallen noble families, long hardened by life as mercenaries. They were more accustomed to rougher manners than knightly etiquette.

“Dragon Slayer King or not, he’s still human, isn’t he? And they were only three… no, four including that servant. Just four, and here we are…”

Halcan laughed bitterly. “So you think we can handle a Dragon Slayer, hmm? Just because you haven’t seen him breathe fire doesn’t mean he won’t. That brat killed multiple dragons, and you think we can take him?”

“Maybe he just delivered the final blow? I heard he had an army backing him. And besides, he’s just a kid,” another mercenary said, sounding skeptical.

These idiots, Halcan thought in disbelief. And seeing that some of his men were starting to nod in agreement only made him angrier. He pointed a finger at them, his face filled with frustration.

“Fine, I quit as captain! Elect a new leader among yourselves!” he declared.

“What? Captain, what are you saying all of a sudden?”

“The rest of you can follow me to go up against the Dragon Slayer King if you want. But I’ll tell you now, there will be nothing left of you! The wild animals will pick your bones clean.”

His fierce words silenced the murmurs among his men. Halcan was a seasoned warrior who had always been able to gauge danger. If he was this shaken, they knew there had to be a reason.

“Was it really that dangerous?” one of them asked cautiously.

“Dangerous? I was practically at death’s door!” Halcan spat. “That young Dragon Slayer King was terrifying enough, but the knights beside him were even stronger than I am!”

“…”

A heavy silence settled over the group. Halcan, who often bragged about being the strongest human, had just admitted that these knights were far superior.

Seeing their stunned faces, Halcan shook his head. “Fine, stay if you want to. I’m done explaining myself. Go to him and die if you’d like. I’m no longer your captain.”

With that, he turned on his heel and started walking away. Slowly, the men began to follow.

“Wait, Captain! We were wrong!”

“We believe you! Don’t leave us behind!” they called after him, hurrying to catch up. They would never know how close they’d come to death, thanks to Halcan’s instincts.

In the years that followed, Halcan’s nickname, “The Red Wolf,” would gradually be replaced by “The Wise Halcan,” as his men remembered this day with tears of gratitude for the life he had saved them from.

…

After Halcan left, Sylas looked at Dani and smiled.

“So, little brother. You weren’t here to greet me? Then, why did you come?”

“…”

Dani stayed silent. With the Red Wolf gang now gone, what could he say? To reveal the truth behind your reputation? Or to challenge you if you’re up for it?

‘If I did that, I’d end up battered and bruised, damn it!’

Even Dani didn’t know Sylas’s exact strength. Ulrich, who had joined him during the demon incident, hadn’t seen him fight properly either.

All he knew was that Sylas had easily subdued Max, and that alone was enough to prove he was stronger than Dani.

‘And if he really did participate in the Six Dragon Battle and gained real combat experience…’

Dani’s mind raced. Though he thought the rumors were exaggerated, there were too many things at stake to risk blindly challenging him.

“Little brother? Why aren’t you answering?” Sylas pressed.

In the end, Dani squeezed his eyes shut and answered, “Actually, I came to greet you.”

“Didn’t you say you weren’t?”

“You heard wrong. Or maybe I misspoke. Anyway, I’m here to welcome you.”

“If you say so, then it must be true,” Sylas replied with a knowing tone that made Dani’s face flush red. Humiliated and embarrassed, he forced himself to calm down.

‘Fine, today isn’t the only day.’

After all, Sylas would remain in the family, and there would be plenty of chances to uncover the truth behind his inflated rumors. With this in mind, Dani turned silently toward the castle, unaware that his fleeting hope would be shattered by the end of the day.

“I’m back, Father.”

“Welcome! You’ve done a commendable job walking the path of honor for the past year!”

Upon hearing of Sylas’s arrival, Count Bill had come out beyond the castle gates to greet his son. He was a man who prioritized family bonds over the authority of his title.

“By the way, why is Dani with you?”

“We just happened to meet on the way here.”

“Well, whatever the reason, it’s good to see brothers together.”

At the Count’s words, Dani’s face turned red. He wanted to deny any brotherly relationship with Sylas, but doing so would only make him look worse in the Count’s eyes.