Lord of Caldera - Chapter 330

Chapter 330: Chapter 330 Choice
“Assistance, is it?” Bjorn murmured as he set down Sylas’s letter. Surrounding him were the northern nobles gathered for the meeting, their faces tense with anticipation.

“What do you propose we do?” he asked, looking around the room.

“We must support Lord Sylas to the best of our ability,” declared one noble, his voice ringing with conviction. “He is the hero and savior of the North. Distance and circumstances are no excuse to ignore his plight.”

“Fine words,” a younger noble countered with a frown. The South and the North were located at opposite ends of the continent. Supporting Sylas seemed a logistical nightmare.

“What exactly can the North offer in support? Apart from strong men and gemstones, we have little else to give. And he has already said he doesn’t need troops.”

“Then we should send gemstones!” another noble interjected.

“And what would the imperial family think of that?” the young noble shot back. “If we start supplying gemstones to other regions, especially after they monopolized them for so long, how do you think they’ll react?”

“The gemstone monopoly ended over six months ago,” the other noble argued. “The imperial family can’t dictate our trade anymore.”

For years, the imperial family had exploited the North’s reliance on food supplies to monopolize its gemstone trade, extracting exorbitant profits. However, with Bjorn’s rise to kingship and the unification of the North, the imperial family had relented, lifting their grip on the gemstone market.

“The imperial family hasn’t forbidden us from trading gemstones, so why should we hold back?”

“It’s not about restrictions—it’s about perception. The imperial family has conceded a great deal to the North in recent times,” the young noble replied gravely.

While the rise of Ragnar played a part, the North had also been granted the restoration of the royal title, recognition of the Platinum Assembly, the lifting of food trade restrictions, and the end of the gemstone monopoly.

Although these concessions were made out of fear of rebellion, they weren’t given gladly. The imperial family likely harbored deep resentment over the matter.

“If we now act as though we owe them nothing and immediately send gemstones to the South, how do you think the Emperor will feel?”

The room grew silent at this.

“Officially, there’s no issue. But this will undoubtedly irritate His Majesty,” the young noble concluded.

Even if the concessions were made begrudgingly, they had still been granted. If the North were seen as ungrateful, it could provoke the Emperor’s wrath, creating more problems.

“I haven’t forgotten how the North has been treated in the past,” the young noble continued. “But I believe we should practice restraint for a few years, at least. We are still part of the Empire, after all.”

“You’re suggesting we decline Lord Sylas’s request to maintain relations with the imperial family?” Bjorn asked, his voice calm but carrying an edge.

“Yes. We can explain our situation to Lord Sylas and repay his assistance many times over in the future. He will understand.”

The older nobles fell silent. While the suggestion didn’t sit well with them, it wasn’t without merit. The Emperor, already frustrated with the North, could become dangerously unpredictable if further provoked.

“Fools,” Bjorn muttered, his voice breaking the growing consensus.

The nobles turned to him in surprise, their attention wholly focused as he continued.

“When did I ask whether we should help? I asked how we should help.”

The room fell into stunned silence, and the young noble’s face darkened.

“But, Your Majesty… given the current situation—”

“You,” Bjorn cut him off, his voice laced with scorn. “You truly astonish me.”

“Astonish… me, Your Majesty?” the noble stammered.

“When your master loosens your leash and allows you to stand on two legs, do you think it wise to kneel back down to avoid upsetting him? I can’t fathom such behavior.”

Bjorn’s biting words left the young noble speechless, his mouth opening and closing uselessly. Even the older nobles, unaccustomed to Bjorn’s temper, were taken aback.

Bjorn’s gaze swept the room, his anger evident as he addressed the gathering.

“No land has faced more restrictions than the North! Only now have those chains been loosened enough for us to reclaim our dignity, yet you speak as though it’s a favor!”

“Your Majesty—”

“Concessions from the imperial family? And who forced those concessions? Speak!”

Bjorn slammed his fist against the table with a resounding thud. The nobles, cowed, avoided his gaze.

It was clear to everyone that the North’s gains were largely thanks to Sylas. Without him, the North would still be bound by imperial restrictions.

“When the viper Rozier came as an envoy, who turned the tide in our favor during negotiations?”

“That… that was Lord Sylas.”

“When dragons invaded, who slew them and defended the North?”

“That, too, was Lord Sylas.”

“And after accomplishing all this, who stepped aside, entrusting the North’s future to its people instead of claiming it for himself?”

The nobles fell into a shameful silence. Each of Sylas’s achievements reminded them of their debt to him.

Bjorn’s voice softened as he delivered his final statement.

“Let us not forget—we owe no debt to the imperial family. Our debt is to Lord Sylas.”

None dared to challenge his words. The decision to support Sylas wholeheartedly was unanimous. However, one issue remained.

“Your Majesty, even if we wish to support him, how can we realistically do so?”

“Didn’t someone mention gemstones earlier?” Bjorn asked.

“But gemstones are highly sought after. They’ll undoubtedly be targeted during transport to the South,” one noble cautioned.

Gemstones were valuable, compact, and lightweight—ideal for funding war efforts. However, their value also made them irresistible to thieves and opportunists.

“The gemstone trade of the North is no secret,” one noble said gravely. “If we send a shipment to the South, predators will undoubtedly target it, suspecting its contents.”

“That depends on who guards it,” Bjorn replied calmly.

“Guards? Who could possibly ensure safe delivery?”

Before anyone could respond, a booming voice echoed from outside the hall.

“Your Majesty! I’m here!”

The unceremonious tone and lack of decorum made some nobles scowl, while others instinctively bowed their heads.