Lord of Caldera - Chapter 275

Chapter 275: Chapter 275

It was only a duel, and all he had gained was the approval of his opponent. And yet…

“Ah, I see now.”

Karon finally understood.

Sylas wasn’t merely a man. He was a dragon—capable of devouring humans and treating them as insignificant pests.

And yet, this dragon had recognized Karon as a worthy foe, offering him genuine respect.

For the first time, Karon understood the trainees’ reactions.

“You had nothing to be ashamed of.”

Those young knights had stood before the same dragon and earned its recognition. That alone was enough to make them the pride of the Royal Guard.

A faint smile crossed Karon’s face as his vision blurred. The future of the Royal Guard, he realized, was bright.

Sylas stood over the fallen Karon and raised his wooden sword in a gesture of respect—a knight’s highest honor to a defeated opponent.

After a brief pause, Sylas turned to the other Royal Guards, his piercing gaze sweeping across them.

“Does anyone else wish to challenge me?”

“….”

No one answered.

Karon had been exempt from his duties as a guard specifically for this duel. For the others, abandoning their assigned posts to challenge Sylas was unthinkable.

But deep down—

“I want to fight him.”

Each of them harbored the same yearning: to face the dragon and earn its respect. Even if it meant never wielding a sword again, they longed to have their names etched into his memory.

“But how could we possibly do that?”

The Royal Guard served as the Emperor’s sword. Personal desires could not come before their duty. A true Royal Guard followed only the Emperor’s command…

“The Count has spoken,” the Emperor interrupted. “Is there truly no one else willing to challenge him?”

“…!?”

The Royal Guards collectively widened their eyes in shock. Was he permitting them to duel? Even the Captain of the Guard, Jurgen Hendrickson, couldn’t hide his surprise.

Looking at the Emperor’s face, Jurgen saw what lay beneath: suppressed frustration.

“Ah, I see.”

The Emperor wasn’t a warrior. He couldn’t fully grasp what had transpired, but that ignorance allowed him to cling to one hope:

“Someone—anyone—must salvage this situation.”

It was a futile wish. But for Jurgen, the opportunity was too precious to pass up.

“It is my duty as a subject to stop him. Yet…”

Jurgen’s lips curled into a bitter smile. This might be the last chance for him—or anyone—to stand before the dragon.

“Captain,” the Deputy Captain called hesitantly.

Jurgen nodded, his decision made.

“The Imperial Knights will take over the Royal Guard’s duties temporarily.”

“…!”

“Go. Show Sir Sylas the spirit of the Royal Guard.”

“Yes, sir!”

With bright smiles, the Royal Guards stepped forward to face Sylas. Though they knew they couldn’t win, not one of them hesitated.

That day, every member of the Royal Guard knelt before the Dragonslayer. And in return, they received the recognition of a dragon—the honor they had yearned for most.

“The entire Royal Guard was defeated by a single Dragonslayer.”

It took less than a day for the outcome of the duel to spread throughout the capital. The news sparked an uproar among its citizens, who could scarcely believe what they were hearing.

The Royal Guard, the elite force of the Imperial Palace, renowned as the strongest knights and bearers of an undefeated legend, had fallen—not to an army, but to a single man.

“Is it true? The entire Royal Guard lost to one person?”

“Come on, it has to be an exaggeration. The Dragonslayer’s reputation has been blown out of proportion lately.”

“How dare you! Are you calling the noble lords liars?”

“What? Did the noble lords actually say that?”

“Yes, indeed! Every lord who attended the banquet witnessed it!”

There was no need to verify the truth. This wasn’t some vague rumor; it had come straight from the mouths of high-ranking nobles—viscounts and counts alike. And not just one or two, but all those who had been present at the Emperor’s banquet. At this point, skepticism was futile.

“Good grief, if that’s true, maybe he really did slay six dragons on his own.”

“That’s ridiculous! There’s no way…”

“I thought the same, but apparently, the Dragonslayer defeated every single one of them in a single strike.”

“A single strike? You mean he took out the entire Royal Guard in one blow? Who said that?”

“My younger sister works as a maid, and she overheard her lord ranting about it in disbelief….”

As the rumors spread, the one most agitated was none other than the Emperor. He hadn’t expected the Royal Guard to emerge victorious, but this? There were limits to what he could stomach.

“For heaven’s sake, is there no way to suppress these blasted rumors?”

“Your Majesty, when you say suppress….”

“Anything will do! If it can restore even a fraction of the Royal Guard’s dignity!”

“….”

Despite the Emperor’s demands, the court nobles could only exchange awkward glances. Rumors couldn’t be manipulated when the facts were so widely known.

Moreover, there was an even more pressing reason for their hesitation.

“Your Majesty, forgive my boldness, but it would be wiser to let this matter lie.”

“Let it lie? While the prestige of the imperial family crumbles!?”

“The rumors are all true, are they not? Were they wildly exaggerated, we might intervene. But this is a case where the truth leaves no room for doubt.”

“I didn’t call for you to state the obvious…!”

Just as the Emperor’s face flushed with anger, a senior noble spoke up calmly.

“Your Majesty, both Count Bill and Count Sylas are present at the banquet. If you attempt to undermine their achievements now, how do you think they will react?”

“….”

The Emperor froze.

The pointed observation cut deep. Bill Corleone was already displeased with the imperial family over the Drakenfels estate incident. If the Emperor were to discredit his son’s accomplishments now, it might be the tipping point.

“He might truly become a rebel.”

The very thought sent cold sweat dripping down the Emperor’s back.

And it wasn’t just any noble family—this was the Corleones.