Lord of Caldera - Chapter 291

Chapter 291: Chapter 291

“No. I’ll make you a knight.”

“What?” Isaac’s laugh caught in his throat, his face twisting in confusion. “A knight? That’s a joke. You can’t be serious.”

“I am,” Sylas replied evenly. “I’ll make you a knight.”

Isaac stared at Sylas as if he’d grown another head. A knight? For someone like him? A half-demon? It was impossible. The Church would find out, and when they did, it would mean certain death. Sensing Isaac’s doubts, Sylas continued.

“You don’t have to hide who you are. If the Church knows about you and still accepts it, there’s no problem.”

“That’s… impossible!” Isaac protested. “The Church would never allow it!”

“It’s possible,” Sylas said firmly. “If I’m the one asking.”

Isaac’s eyes widened. Sylas’s conviction was unnerving. Could he really be serious?

“Let me ask you again,” Sylas said, stepping closer. “If I can make the Church accept you, will you swear loyalty to me?”

Isaac swallowed hard. It was absurd. Foolish, even. But what if, against all odds, Sylas could do it? The faintest glimmer of hope stirred within him.

“If you can truly make that happen…” Isaac said, slowly rising to his feet. He knelt on one knee, his posture clumsy but sincere. “Then I will gladly pledge my life to you, my lord.”

Sylas’s lips curved into a satisfied smile.

“The Butcher… lost?” Christoph exclaimed, leaping to his feet. His face was a mix of disbelief and anger.

It was unthinkable. The Butcher was a half-demon, a monster with power far beyond human limits. He could annihilate entire mercenary bands on his own. And yet, he had been defeated?

“Are you certain?” Christoph demanded. “You must’ve seen wrong!”

“There’s no mistake, my lord,” his subordinate replied. “The man even broke the black-steel restraints as if they were nothing.”

“Then it’s true…” Christoph collapsed into his chair, his face pale. He had heard the stories about the Dragon Slayer but had dismissed them as exaggerated rumors. Now it seemed the truth was even more terrifying.

“What’s his game? With that kind of power, he could’ve just destroyed the prison and walked out.”

Christoph’s teeth ground together in frustration. Sylas’s actions seemed deliberate, as though he was toying with him. It was maddening.

“Damn it. I can’t let him keep dictating the pace. I have to strike back, now.”

Fortunately, Sylas had made one mistake: he left Isaac alive. Though Sylas might not have known Isaac’s full history, Christoph did, and he planned to use it to his advantage.

“Send word to the Church,” Christoph ordered, his voice cold. “Tell them we’ve found the spawn of a demon—and the one colluding with him.”

The discovery of a demon’s offspring and their conspirator sent shockwaves through the region. Christoph wasted no time reporting the matter to the local temple, leaving the presiding priest utterly alarmed.

“A demon? Are you sure you’re not mistaken?” the priest stammered.

“No mistake. This involves an actual demon,” Christoph’s messenger affirmed with a grim expression.

The priest let out an involuntary curse before catching himself. “Damn it… Ahem!” He coughed awkwardly. Of all things to deal with, why did it have to be a demon?

Such occurrences were rare enough that most would never encounter them in a lifetime. Yet, it had to happen under his jurisdiction.

“You must come to the lord’s castle at once,” the messenger urged. “This demands swift action.”

“I’m sorry, but this is beyond my ability to handle alone,” the priest admitted, clutching his chest as if the very thought caused him pain. “If I were to act on my own and mishandle this…”

The messenger’s gaze sharpened. “Are you suggesting you’ll pretend this doesn’t exist?”

Despite the accusatory tone, the priest was unyielding. “That’s not what I’m saying. This is too grave a matter for me to address alone. If I take a wrong step, my head might literally roll.”

The weight of the situation was clear. A demon wasn’t merely a village-level threat; they had the potential to decimate entire regions. Even a bishop couldn’t make unilateral decisions regarding such a dire matter.

“I’ll inform the central temple immediately. If this concerns a demon, the Archbishop will dispatch holy knights without delay,” the priest assured.

“But time is critical! If something catastrophic happens, will you take responsibility for the consequences?” the messenger pressed.

“I would have no choice,” the priest replied, shrugging off the veiled threat. He had no intention of rushing headlong into a matter that could lead to his own demise.

The priest’s cautious stance frustrated the messenger, who could only mutter under his breath. “Hmph, greedy enough to take bribes all this time, but when it comes to real danger, you back away.”

Still, the messenger could hardly blame him. A priest willing to put himself at risk wouldn’t have accepted bribes in the first place. Self-preservation clearly took precedence over faith or duty.

“Fine. Just act quickly,” the messenger relented.

“Don’t worry. I’ll send word via carrier pigeon immediately.”

The messenger returned to Christoph with the priest’s response, to which Christoph smiled faintly. “So that’s how it is. Perfect.”

Though the reaction wasn’t quite what he had expected, it suited him well. After all, the target was truly connected to demons. If the central temple sent holy knights to investigate, there would be no room for excuses.

‘The church’s hatred of demons guarantees swift action,’ Christoph thought. ‘Even if the accused escapes, they’ll be hunted for the rest of their life.’

Christoph hadn’t expected the holy knights to overcome the targets with brute force. What mattered was the stain of guilt. The mere association with demons would ruin them beyond repair.

‘Foolish creature. Your arrogance will lead to your downfall.’

If the accused had used their power to storm the office directly, Christoph might have been caught off guard. But their complacency had allowed events to escalate beyond their control.

‘To see a once-proud dragon slayer fall into despair… What a sight that will be.’

Though Christoph wouldn’t dare confront the accused himself, he resolved to send someone to report back on their reaction when the holy knights and inquisitors arrived.