Lord of Caldera - Chapter 333

Chapter 333: Chapter 333 Stop The Dragonslayer!
“I can understand why the other nobles in the alliance are so anxious. They’ve never experienced a large-scale war before and have no clue what’s going on,” Sylas said coldly.

“…”

“But you’re a noble with a proper territory, aren’t you? You’ve been through enough to know better. Why are you reacting so poorly, just like the rest of them?”

Kaspar’s face turned crimson. Sylas’s words were a clear reprimand, chastising him for overreacting to such a minor issue.

“I-I apologize, Your Excellency. I was only concerned for the alliance…”

“Not for your own territory?” Sylas asked pointedly.

“…”

“Well, no matter. It’s not entirely unreasonable. After all, I did provoke the enemy who had been lying dormant,” Sylas admitted.

Kaspar flinched. Sylas was right. News of support arriving from the West had already reached him. They could’ve maintained the stalemate until reinforcements came, so why had Sylas suddenly attacked and provoked their enemies?

Now the three lords had no choice but to strike back against Sylas.

“To put it simply, it’s to buy time until reinforcements arrive,” Sylas explained.

“Buy time? But wouldn’t it have been better to…”

“Not attack? It’s the opposite,” Sylas interrupted.

While the three lords feared drawing Sylas’s attention and had thus stayed defensive, their patience wasn’t infinite. Pressure from their rear allies would’ve eventually forced them to act, likely within weeks.

Had the lords attacked and withdrawn without suffering significant losses, the fear of the Dragonslayer would’ve diminished. Sylas’s aura of terror had to be maintained.

“I needed to smash them once. Enough to ensure they wouldn’t dare attack again for a while.”

“I understand your reasoning, but wasn’t just breaking the castles’ defenses insufficient? Their troops and supplies were left intact,” Kaspar asked cautiously.

“Who said I smashed them in this attack?” Sylas retorted.

The destruction of the castles was merely bait. If Sylas had also wiped out troops and supplies, he would’ve inflicted moderate damage, but he wouldn’t have drawn them out. They’d simply avoid direct confrontation, focusing instead on raids.

Instead, Sylas had left them with just enough resources to maintain the illusion they could still fight and escape.

“With their remaining strength, they’ll have no choice but to resolve their internal issues by launching a direct attack. And when they do…”

“Your Excellency! The rebels are attacking!”

A messenger’s voice echoed from outside, interrupting Sylas. His lips curled into a sly smile.

“…That’s when we start,” he muttered.

“They’ve sent fewer troops than I expected,” Sir Marlon, commander of Franz’s forces, muttered as he surveyed the battlefield. The forces contributed by the three allied lords were fewer than anticipated.

“They must’ve left most of their soldiers to guard their castles. The ones here will likely fight half-heartedly before retreating,” said Klaus, Marlon’s deputy, with a bitter expression.

“Can’t be helped. Who’d want to fight someone who can bring down castle walls single-handedly?”

“You’re not wrong. Even we’re supposed to retreat at the right moment,” Klaus added.

Marlon clicked his tongue in frustration. As much as it irritated him, he knew this battle wasn’t meant to be a victory. It was a farce, a glorified lottery to avoid being Sylas’s first target.

“To think I’d ever receive orders to lose a battle and come back alive…” Marlon grumbled.

“Well, it is a battle we’re meant to lose,” Klaus pointed out.

“Shut up. As if it isn’t bad enough that my career’s taking a hit,” Marlon snapped.

“Shouldn’t you be more worried about your life than your career?” Klaus retorted.

Marlon’s face stiffened slightly. He couldn’t argue with that. If the lottery turned against him and Sylas targeted his forces, he was as good as dead.

Rumors of Sylas’s tactics—eliminating enemy commanders at the start of every battle—flashed through Marlon’s mind, and his throat went dry.

“…Still, there’s a two-thirds chance of survival,” Marlon muttered, trying to reassure himself.

“Which means there’s a one-third chance of death,” Klaus quipped.

“Keep saying stuff like that, and I’ll make sure you die with me!” Marlon snapped.

“Understood. That’s why I’m terrified,” Klaus replied.

Both men fell silent, uneasy at the prospect of attracting Sylas’s attention with their conversation.

In the tense silence, the alliance forces waited for Sylas to appear. Eventually, the gates of Glixborg Castle opened, and a figure emerged.

At the sight of the young man at the forefront, someone muttered, “It’s the Dragonslayer.”

“What? That boy?”

“He doesn’t even look twenty…”

Murmurs spread through the alliance ranks as they took in Sylas’s youthful appearance, their confusion and disbelief palpable. Sylas, unperturbed by the whispers, raised his voice.

“Charge.”

With that single command, his forces surged out of the castle.

The alliance soldiers trembled as the battle began. It was time to see who the Dragonslayer would target first.

Marlon and Klaus watched anxiously as Sylas’s banner advanced. When it finally veered in one direction, they both erupted in cheers.

“It’s the right flank!”

“Jerome’s forces are the target!”

Screams erupted from the right flank as Sylas’s forces clashed with Jerome’s troops. Chaos spread rapidly, with Jerome’s soldiers failing to maintain order as Sylas approached.

“Good! Let’s drive off the enemy on our side and retreat!” Marlon shouted.

“We’ve heard their forces are poorly trained! This shouldn’t be difficult!” Klaus added.

Relieved to have escaped Sylas’s attention, the two men led their troops forward confidently. The battle was already a victory; all that remained was to wrap it up quickly.

But as Franz’s forces collided with Sylas’s allies, a sickening sound echoed across the battlefield.

Thwack!

“…!?”

Marlon and Klaus froze as they watched soldiers fly through the air, their eyes widening in disbelief.

Before the battle began, the allied forces shared a singular belief:

-If we can stop the Dragonslayer, the rest will be easy.

To them, Sylas was the only true threat. The rest of his forces were ordinary humans who could be crushed with superior numbers and discipline.

That belief was completely shattered the moment the battle began. Sylas had more than just himself—he had other monsters under his command.