Lord of Caldera - Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Chapter 40 Drinking Warm Beer
Toby doesn’t know much about Sylas. He only arrived at the Corleone family a few months ago, and he didn’t particularly take an interest in him. However, he had heard rumors that Sylas showed genius-level achievements in various fields. He was now feeling the truth of that rumor deeply.

Sylas displayed his extraordinary talent even under criticism.

“Put your feet down. Can’t you stand straight?”

“…!”

Toby’s body trembled as he raised one leg and pressed his forehead against the ground. His whole body was numb, and it felt like he would collapse the moment he relaxed. Of course, if that happened, something even more painful would follow. No matter how hard it was, he had no choice but to endure it.

‘Why on earth am I so exhausted?’

Toby had wielded a sword on the battlefield all day long before. He had enough stamina to withstand just about anything. But Sylas’s criticism quickly drained all that energy.

“Hey, Toby.”

“Yes, my lord!”

“You look like you’re struggling a lot. Should we call it quits here?”

His voice was so gentle. But this was a trap. Having realized this through previous experiences, Toby shouted.

“I’m fine!”

“Oh dear, you still want to keep going even though you’re struggling?”

“That’s right! My rudeness is unforgivable, so please punish me as you see fit! I beg you to discipline me as much as you like!”

His voice was filled with desperation and self-reproach, a plea so moving that even a wicked slave owner would feel weak-hearted for a moment. Sylas clutched his chest with eyes that glistened with tears.

“Your loyalty touches me.”

“That’s too much praise, my lord!”

“As a lord, I cannot disregard the feelings of my vassal! We will proceed as you wish!”

“Excuse me?”

“Now, let’s roll around until that guilt is released! That’s an extra 30 minutes!”

‘Damn….’

At Sylas’s cheerful voice, Toby’s eyes trembled. The criticism ended two hours later.

***

“Cough! Huh!”

Exhausted, Toby lay down on the ground. He no longer had the strength to even twitch a finger. Sylas watched him and chuckled.

“Be glad this is where it ends. I was actually thinking of making you endure more.”

“Huh! Thank you for your mercy, my lord!”

Though it sounded insincere, Toby desperately replied. What could he do now that he was already in a pitiful position? He had no choice but to grovel.

Once his breathing calmed down a bit, Sylas looked down at Toby’s face and spoke.

“Let’s get back to the main point. I’ll teach you the release method, and in return, you will swear your loyalty to me. How about it?”

“Well, my lord, I think there’s a slight issue with that.”

“Do you want to roll around some more?”

“No! It’s not that; it’s a practical issue!”

Toby waved his hands and began to explain carefully.

“Think about it. I am currently serving Count.”

“That’s true.”

“If I swear loyalty to you, I would obviously have to terminate my contract with the Count.”

“Of course, there can’t be a knight serving two lords.”

“But, my lord, can you pay me a salary? I’m not saying I want a lot. Just the bare minimum, really.”

“Hmm.”

Sylas stroked his chin at the reasonable point. That was definitely a blind spot.

“Indeed, my circumstances are a bit lacking to fulfill my duties as a lord.”

A lifelong contract isn’t a slave contract to unilaterally devote oneself until death. A lord has the obligation to provide an appropriate reward to the knight who pledges loyalty. It’s no wonder knights dream of lifelong contracts with noble families. They make such pledges because there is something substantial to gain.

If a knight bound by a lifelong contract can’t even receive minimal treatment, that alone becomes a huge disgrace. If that state persists for several years, it’s not seen as a defect if the knight unilaterally withdraws their loyalty.

“Well, that’s something we can resolve quickly, so it’s not a big deal.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. At the very least, you won’t be getting less gold coins.”

Toby blinked in surprise. What kind of magic would make that possible? A knight bound by a lifelong contract doesn’t get a salary that’s just pocket money for a young nobleman.

Yet, to think he could give the same amount without cutting it at all.

“Anyway, I’ll take care of the salary issue, so don’t worry.”

“If you say so, my lord…”

“Then let’s get to the loyalty pledge. If you want to learn the release method quickly.”

“Understood.”

As he knelt down for the loyalty pledge, Toby’s eyes suddenly widened.

‘Wait a minute, wouldn’t it be okay to learn the release method right away and then run off?’

If it were a lifelong contract in front of many people, he could never escape. With his name, family, and face all known, how could he possibly run away? But if it’s a private contract in a place like this? Obviously, it wouldn’t have any binding power other than his own conscience.

However, the hope that flashed momentarily was quickly dashed.

“By the way, when you swear your loyalty, you don’t have to swear to the goddess.”

“Excuse me? Then who do I swear to?”

“To whom else? You must swear by your great ancestors and the bloodline of giants.”

“…”

Toby closed his mouth. Then the situation was different. A pledge made regarding his bloodline was related to his own power. He had heard of a past ancestor who broke a vow invoking the bloodline and lost all of his strength.

That’s why his father had always cautioned him: never break a vow sworn on your bloodline.

‘Damn it, I’m trapped.’

But of course, the young lord knew about the release method. He must have already been aware of this fact. Despairing, Toby shouted.

“I swear by my great ancestors and bloodline that if you provide me with the exact release method to regain my strength, I will devote my loyalty for a lifetime.”

Setting a condition was the last small resistance. Sylas smiled satisfactorily and nodded.

“Alright, I’ll tell you now. You were curious about the release method from the curse, right?”

“Y-yes.”

“Your release method is…”

***

After Sylas left, Toby stood blankly in his lodging. The more he thought about it, the more he was astounded.

“Damn it, is that really the way to break the curse?”

When he first heard it, he thought Sylas was joking. He was so flabbergasted that he forgot he was being blackmailed.

“Young master, are you joking?”

“I’m very serious. And you should call me your lord.”

“You have to tell me the exact method to break the curse if you want my loyalty!”

“That is the method to break the curse.”

“Drinking warm beer to break a curse makes no sense!”