Lord of Caldera - Chapter 326

Chapter 326: Chapter 326 Generosity
Realizing this, the nobles stood abruptly, their eyes burning with resolve.

“Who would hesitate to join such a righteous cause?!”

“Indeed! Even if it costs us our lives, we will fight!”

“The traitors shall feel the goddess’s wrath!”

“For the rightful lord of Drakenfels!”

“Goddess, protect the alliance!”

The room erupted with a mix of cheers and desperate cries, the nobles’ faces filled with grim determination.

“Truly, you are loyal servants of the empire and Drakenfels!” Sylas exclaimed.

“For the empire and Drakenfels!”

“Long live His Excellency!”

“Victory to the count!”

As the nobles shouted themselves hoarse, Sylas allowed a faint smile to cross his lips.

“Nobles never act out of selfless goodwill. Now that they’ve taken my rewards, it’s time for them to work like dogs for it.”

“This is madness,” Baron Kaspar said the moment the meeting adjourned, seeking Sylas out. Sylas chuckled lightly, crossing his legs as he listened.

“If you were going to object, you should’ve done so during the meeting.”

“I didn’t want to lower morale in that setting,” Kaspar replied curtly.

“But now you think it’s fine to lower morale?”

“I just want to suggest ways to improve our chances.” Kaspar thumped his chest in frustration.

“No matter how skilled you and your knights may be, Your Excellency, the disparity in numbers is overwhelming. In the worst-case scenario…”

“In the worst-case scenario?”

“All of our forces, except for you and your knights, could be annihilated.”

There was no denying Sylas and his knights’ exceptional abilities. They could likely ensure their own survival under any circumstances. However, protecting the rest of the army was a different matter entirely.

“We’re facing the equivalent of six viscount-sized armies. If even one of them engages us while the others attack from behind, our rear would be decimated.”

“Hmm. What if we strike like lightning and take out the leaders first? If we capture the heads, the rest will collapse, right?”

“In another battle, that might work. But the problem is that our enemies are united in an alliance.”

The six rebel lords weren’t under a single ruler. They had agreed to cooperate while maintaining their autonomy, essentially creating a hydra with six heads.

“Even if you kill one leader, the other five will remain, and the distances between their territories are significant. Even if you somehow defeat three of them quickly…”

“There won’t be enough forces or territory left to save by then, will there?”

“Exactly. Our defensive capabilities are practically nonexistent.”

Typically, a fragmented enemy leadership would be a boon, offering opportunities to pick them off one by one. However, given the peculiar nature of this conflict, it was more of a curse.

“If they were all gathered for an attack, you’d at least have a chance to eliminate their leaders in one fell swoop. But there’s no way they’ll come together.”

“Of course not,” Sylas agreed. “Just a few months ago, they were fighting each other to the death. Their alliance exists solely to deal with me; they wouldn’t willingly fight shoulder-to-shoulder.”

“Precisely,” Kaspar confirmed.

The rebels, aware of their numerical advantage, saw no reason to join forces physically. They could overpower the allies individually without enduring the discomfort of cooperating closely.

“Since they won’t gather, there’s no chance to take them out all at once. A miraculous comeback strategy is out of the question.”

“I see your point,” Sylas said, waving dismissively as Kaspar’s grim explanation concluded.

“In short, the problem is that there’s no clever strategy that could work, right?”

“Essentially, yes.”

“Then we just won’t use a clever strategy.”

“What?”

“If we win through sheer force, there’s no need for tricks.”

Kaspar fell silent, staring incredulously. The disparity in numbers was like heaven and earth, yet Sylas intended to face them head-on?

“Do you have a plan?” Kaspar asked cautiously.

“I do,” Sylas replied.

Even Sylas didn’t believe he could win such a war with only four ancient bloodlines on his side. If they lacked forces, they’d have to gather them from elsewhere.

“First, we’ll go with the most straightforward approach: recruiting mercenaries. Conveniently, there are some promising candidates close at hand.”

“Promising candidates?”

“Have you forgotten who’s sitting in the dungeons below this castle?”

Kaspar flinched. He had indeed forgotten—the most formidable mercenaries on the continent were currently in their custody. And they owed Sylas a considerable debt.

“Summon Halken. Let’s see what the strongest mercenary company in the land can do for us,” Sylas said, his lips curling into a smile.

Shortly after, Halken was brought in. Despite being confined in the dungeons, he looked surprisingly composed. As a prisoner being ransomed rather than a criminal, he had been treated more like a guest.

“You summoned me, Your Excellency?”

“I did. Have a seat.”

As Halken took the offered seat, Sylas wasted no time getting to the point.

“I’ll be blunt. Would you consider working for me?”

“What?” Halken blinked in disbelief. Offers like this weren’t unusual for mercenaries, but this wasn’t an ordinary offer—this was coming from him, the infamous count.

Did Sylas Drakenfels even need the Crimson Wolf Mercenary Company?

“You look confused,” Sylas observed.

“To be honest, yes. Do you really need us, Your Excellency?”

“I do. Six rebel lords claiming to be the rightful heirs of Drakenfels have declared war on me.”

Halken’s eyes widened. That one statement was all he needed to understand the situation. No matter how powerful an individual, even a monster like Sylas couldn’t take on six armies single-handedly.

“You owe me a debt, do you not?” Sylas continued.

“That’s… undeniably true,” Halken admitted.

“I’ll forgive that debt. Completely. And on top of that, I’ll pay you your usual hiring fee.”

“…!”

The terms were extraordinary. Paying a chest of gold per mercenary was a sum that even the Crimson Wolf Mercenary Company would struggle to repay over two years. Yet Sylas was offering to forgive the debt and pay them as if they’d never lost.

Despite the generosity of the offer, Halken’s expression turned pale.

“Do I have a choice?”

“If you did, would you refuse?”