Lord of Caldera - Chapter 359

Chapter 359: Chapter 359 Benefits Secured By Eldira
When Sylas was informed of their situation, he immediately issued orders.

“Toby, Ray, Isaac! Escort the delegation here safely!”

“All three of us? Shouldn’t one of us stay behind, just in case?”

“No one would dare challenge me in my own domain, even if you’re gone!”

“Well, that’s true. We’ll leave right away,” the three men replied before setting off.

The sight of Sylas’s trusted retainers arriving at their camp finally allowed Veles to breathe a sigh of relief. The delegation was escorted to Glixborg, Sylas’s stronghold, where they shared their harrowing tale.

“…The Emperor must have gone senile,” Isaac muttered after hearing the story.

Everyone, including Sylas, nodded silently in agreement. Even if Drakenfels’ growing influence was alarming, attempting to imprison Eldira had been sheer madness.

“He should have let them go as soon as he realized who she was. But his obsession with authority led him to make the worst decision possible,” Sylas thought.

It seemed the Emperor had paid dearly for his mistake, though. Eldira, still pale but cheerful, burst out laughing.

“Hahaha! You should have seen that old fool’s face!”

“…”

“Why aren’t you laughing? I think I handled it brilliantly!”

“Brilliant? Look at the other elves,” Toby replied dryly. “They look like parents who just saved their child from drowning.”

Sure enough, Veles and the other elves were glaring at Eldira with narrowed eyes. She cleared her throat awkwardly and looked away.

“Ahem! Still, it all ended well, didn’t it?”

“If you focus only on the result, perhaps,” Veles muttered. “But it could have ended far worse.”

“Let’s not dwell on that. We have more important matters to discuss,” Eldira said hastily, eager to change the subject.

Though clearly irritated, Veles stepped back, acknowledging the truth of her words. Eldira reached into her cloak and pulled out a scroll, handing it to Sylas.

“Here, Sylas. Look at this!”

“What is it?” he asked, taking the scroll and unrolling it.

“It’s compensation from that wretched old man!”

Sylas blinked in surprise as he examined the document. It bore the Emperor’s signature and seal, but unlike the flowery prose typical of imperial decrees, this one contained a single, concise statement:

“All taxes from Drakenfels are waived for the next 30 years.”

“…!”

Sylas’s eyes widened in astonishment at the unexpected boon.

“How is it? This is a gift I personally secured for you. Do you like it?”

“…”

Sylas remained silent, rereading the Emperor’s personal letter with a dazed expression. Seeing his reaction, Eldira, who had spoken proudly with her chest puffed out, slowly slouched her shoulders.

She had expected him to be overjoyed, so why wasn’t he saying anything?

“L-Sylas? Did I make a mistake somehow? Could it be that this reward has ruined your plans…”

“No.”

Sylas shook his head.

“It’s the opposite. I’ve received something far too great.”

“Too great?”

“Yes, thanks to you, the final piece of my plan has fallen into place. I truly appreciate it. I’d even want to give you a hug right now if I could.”

“Well, if you’d like to, I wouldn’t mind…”

“If only no one else were watching. At times like this, the dignity of a noble is quite bothersome. Instead, please accept my heartfelt gratitude.”

With a radiant smile, Sylas bowed his head. Eldira, who had spread her arms wide in anticipation of a hug, awkwardly pulled them back.

Though Eldira’s face showed a hint of dissatisfaction, Sylas was too preoccupied to notice her reaction. The magnitude of the gift was powerful enough to accelerate plans that had taken decades to establish.

‘This is insane. This can’t be a dream, right? Tax exemption?!’

It’s said that when emotions overflow, they sometimes become eerily calm. For the first time, Sylas realized this applied to joy as well.

‘Tax exemption doesn’t just mean they won’t collect taxes. It signifies that for the next 30 years, the Imperial influence will completely vanish from Drakenfels.’

In the Empire, territorial nobles were required to fulfill obligations in exchange for their titles. These obligations were diverse but could be summarized into three main responsibilities:

Loyalty to the Emperor.Sending soldiers in times of war.Paying a portion of their land’s yield as taxes.

Of these, the first obligation was rarely enforced unless a noble openly defied the Emperor. Similarly, the second obligation only came into play during wartime.

The third—paying taxes—was the most critical. Taxes were the greatest shackle binding the lords to the Emperor.

‘If the Imperial family wanted to, they could bleed a noble dry without leaving a single bone. They just avoid doing so because it would incite rebellion.’

Taxes were a tricky issue. Land fertility varied, as did special products and resource distributions. It was nearly impossible in this era to establish a fixed legal ratio. As a result, tax matters were often left to the Emperor’s discretion.

This discretionary power was one of the Imperial family’s greatest tools of control.

‘It’s not just about imposing high taxes to pressure the lords. The right to tax also grants the Imperial family the authority to investigate a territory’s internal affairs openly.’

They could record population numbers, troop strength, and the resources and food supplies in front of the lord’s eyes under the guise of preparing for taxation.

A lord couldn’t refuse this investigation, as doing so would be akin to declaring an intention to commit tax evasion.

But Sylas was now in a position where taxes would be exempted for the next 30 years.

‘Without obligations, they can’t investigate Drakenfels’ internal affairs. On top of that, everything in the territory becomes my personal property.’

Sylas clenched his fists. Just thinking about how to utilize this situation made his excitement hard to contain.

“This is indeed an extraordinary gift from the Archduchess. However, I must admit I’m a little concerned,” Isaac interrupted Sylas’s thoughts.

“Do you think the deranged Emperor will honor his promise? Even if he does, the Crown Prince might later find excuses to revoke it.”

“Well, it’s certainly a privilege too powerful to ignore. They’d likely want to take it back even if it meant going back on their word.”