Lord of Caldera - Chapter 285

Chapter 285: Chapter 285

“Yes. It’s a convincing fake, but it doesn’t fool me. There’s a subtle discrepancy in the Imperial seal.”

“Oh?” Sylas nodded as if impressed. “A knight stationed at the gates is so familiar with the Emperor’s seal that he can identify it instantly? Usually, only lords who directly receive Imperial documents know it that well.”

“…Counterfeiters like you always have an excuse!” the knight barked, his voice betraying a hint of unease.

The claim about the seal was nothing more than an excuse. What mattered was that Sylas and his party couldn’t prove their innocence immediately. Even if they could, the knight could simply dismiss it as further fabrication unless an imperial representative personally intervened.

“Seize him! Drag him to the interrogation chamber!” the knight commanded.

“Yes, sir!” Soldiers moved to apprehend Sylas.

Toby and Ray, standing by Sylas, exuded an icy aura, their displeasure palpable.

“These fools…” Toby growled.

“Such impudence…” Ray muttered.

The sharp sound of steel rang out as both knights drew their swords. The soldiers recoiled—not because they were unaccustomed to armed confrontations, but because of the overwhelming presence emanating from the knights. It froze them in place, unable even to follow the knight’s command to advance.

The standoff grew tense. A single misstep would turn the scene into a bloodbath. Just as the atmosphere became unbearable, Sylas intervened.

“Enough. Put your swords away,” he said calmly.

“Master?” Toby and Ray turned to him, startled.

“They want to question me. Let’s humor them,” Sylas added with an air of nonchalance.

Toby and Ray exchanged bewildered glances. What was he planning now?

Even the knight hesitated, unsure if he’d misheard. “You’re… willing to comply with an investigation?”

“Of course. I have nothing to hide, so why not?” Sylas replied with a confident smile.

The knight suppressed a string of curses. Was this man a fool, genuinely unaware of the trap? Or was he so arrogant that he thought it wouldn’t affect him?

“Fine. Let’s go,” Sylas said, stepping forward.

The knight, wary of appearing indecisive, gave a curt nod. “Very well. Out of respect for your… cooperation, we’ll bind you lightly.”

“Oh, I forgot to mention—I won’t be bound,” Sylas said casually.

“What?”

“I’ll walk there myself. Agreeing to an investigation doesn’t mean agreeing to be restrained,” Sylas clarified with an air of superiority.

The knight’s face darkened. What nonsense. Did Sylas think he was in a position to negotiate?

“Enough of this drivel! Restrain him by force—”

Suddenly, a sharp gust of wind cut him off. The knight blinked, his words faltering as he realized Sylas was standing mere inches away.

“What are you—”

-Ting.

Something tapped his head, and a red feather fluttered to the ground. The knight’s gaze followed it, and his eyes widened in shock. His helmet plume had been sliced clean off. He reached up to feel his helmet, confirming that the area where the plume had been attached was now perfectly smooth.

“When did he draw his sword?”

The realization sent shivers down his spine. He hadn’t seen Sylas draw, approach, or strike. If the blade had aimed for his neck instead of his plume, he’d already be dead.

“Hey,” Sylas’s voice snapped him out of his daze.

The knight looked up to see Sylas smiling as if nothing had happened. “I’m letting you arrest me.”

“…”

“Got it?”

The knight managed a stiff nod. He now understood that Sylas could only be captured because he allowed it.

“What? He willingly entered the prison?” Christophe exclaimed, rubbing his temples in frustration.

“Yes, my lord. He claimed that he had nothing to hide and walked in on his own accord,” the messenger replied.

Christophe groaned. “Is this dragonslayer an idiot? Who falls for such an obvious trap?”

“The situation is… unusual,” the messenger hesitated.

“Unusual how?” Christophe demanded.

“The knight who escorted him back reported that his strength was… extraordinary. He said that if Sylas had wanted to, he could have massacred all the soldiers stationed at the gate.”

“And yet he surrendered?”

“Yes. Apparently, he was so intimidating that they didn’t even dare bind him. He simply walked to the prison on his own.”

“Damn it!” Christophe slammed his fist on the table. “That wasn’t an arrest—it was an escort!”

He cursed under his breath, rubbing his face in frustration, though his mind was racing.

“His strength is undeniable, but I never intended for him to be truly captured. The plan was to provoke him into fleeing or fighting, so we could justify an escalation.”

The trap had been designed to bait Sylas into resistance, a scenario where Christophe would have the upper hand. But Sylas’s calm compliance had upended those expectations.

“Why would he willingly step into such an obvious trap? Is he insane?”

If this was an attempt to defy expectations, it was a disastrous one. By surrendering, Sylas had disarmed himself and walked directly into the lion’s den. There was no tactical advantage to be gained from this move.

“But if he’s walked into my hands, there’s no reason to let him go.”

Christophe smirked. Though the plan hadn’t unfolded as intended, the end result was the same. Sylas was now in his control.

“Send him to the chamber with the Butcher,” Christophe ordered.

Sylas might have been a legendary dragonslayer, but Christophe had his own monster—one he’d been waiting to unleash.

“Let’s see how a monster fares against a monster.”

A sinister smile spread across Christophe’s face as he envisioned the clash to come.

Clank.

“Come out,” the guard called as he unlocked the prison cell. Sylas, who had been resting against the wall, cast a sideways glance at him.

“I’ve only been here for two hours. What’s the rush?”

“Just get out. Stop wasting time with pointless questions—”

Crack.

The guard’s words were cut short as Sylas casually pressed his fingers into the wall beside him, pulling away a chunk of stone. With a squeeze, the solid piece crumbled into fine gravel in his hand.

“I didn’t quite catch that. Care to repeat it a little closer?” Sylas said, his voice calm but carrying an unmistakable edge.