Lord of Caldera - Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Chapter 61
Sylas met Ulrich’s gaze from across the grounds, and the two exchanged polite smiles, a picture of brotherly camaraderie. Sylas even bowed his head slightly in respect.

As soon as Sylas looked away, Ulrich’s smile turned into a bitter smirk. “He’s a tough one.”

“He doesn’t seem like much to me,” Oscar said, unimpressed.

“That just means he’s good at hiding his true nature. He knows how to present himself. In that way, he’s much like me,” Ulrich said.

Ulrich had heard endless tales of Sylas’s brilliance, his genius across many fields, and his exceptional talent in swordsmanship. But in Ulrich’s mind, Sylas’s real gift wasn’t any of those things.

‘In just a few months, he’s completely won over Father, the knights, and even the servants. Mother and Dani couldn’t even get close to him,’ Ulrich thought.

Sylas’s true talent was his ability to win people over—a skill every ruler covets. Ulrich had confidence in his own ability to manage people, but he knew he would have to test himself against Sylas’s talent in that area.

But the issue wasn’t just the superiority of talent.

‘The real problem is that he possesses the talents of a ruler.’

A person with the talent for gathering people also gathers power, and with power comes the path to the throne. For Ulrich, who aspired to be an absolute ruler in these chaotic times, the mere existence of a potential rival was intolerable. Especially if that rival might attract the very talents Ulrich needed for his own ambitions.

“That’s why I have to cut him down a peg. I can’t let him ride this wave of momentum forever,” Ulrich muttered to himself.

“Well, thanks to him, you’ve got a younger brother who’s built up quite the reputation for you to step on. It’s a fortunate situation for you, sir,” Oscar said, his tone carrying a hint of sarcasm.

“Shh, lower your voice. We wouldn’t want anyone overhearing,” Ulrich said, though the smile on his face showed he wasn’t too concerned. The reputation Sylas had built within the family was considerable, especially regarding Toby’s strength.

As is often the case, when someone with a strong reputation loses, a good portion of that prestige transfers to the victor. In this way, Sylas had unknowingly been a great help to Ulrich, providing him with more renown to claim.

“Let the duel be an honorable one, with no shame before the goddess. Draw your swords!” Sir Werner declared from the sparring grounds, and the two knights took their positions. Ulrich leisurely raised his glass, waiting for the cheers to start.

“Well then, let’s see how Sir Ray performs after all this time,” Ulrich remarked.

“Let’s just hope Toby doesn’t fall too quickly,” Oscar added.

“Don’t worry, Toby’s capable enough. But compared to Sir Ray…” Ulrich trailed off.

CLANG!

Ulrich’s confident words were abruptly cut off. His expression froze, and a moment later, the fruit juice he’d been sipping dribbled from his mouth. After a few seconds of stunned silence, Ulrich jumped up, shouting in disbelief.

“What in the world is happening?!”

No one responded—not even Oscar, who was equally dumbfounded. The sparring ground was filled with an overwhelming force.

CLANG!

When their swords first clashed, Ray felt a shock ripple through his body. He hadn’t swung with full power, but it was still enough to knock most knights off balance. Yet, Toby hadn’t even budged.

“Well, that was impressive. I’d heard stories, but you’re stronger than I expected,” Toby said with a grin.

“Impressive?” Ray muttered, his eyebrows twitching beneath his helmet. He was used to knights reacting with fear or awe during their fights. But Toby’s response? He almost sounded bored. Driven by a need to prove himself, Ray swung his sword again with all his might.

BOOM!

This time, Ray was the one who was surprised. His feet slid back, his boots screeching against the ground from the sheer force of Toby’s counterattack. The raw strength behind Toby’s blow was staggering.

Toby seemed to guess Ray’s reaction and chuckled. “Come on, Sir Ray. You’re a descendant of spirits—don’t tell me that’s all you’ve got.”

Ray’s eyes narrowed. His bloodline was supposed to be a closely guarded secret, known to only a few. How did this man know?

“My lord was curious,” Toby continued, “wondering whether the descendants of spirits or the blood of giants were stronger.”

“…!”

Ray stared at Toby, his eyes wide with shock. He had heard of people with similar bloodlines, but he had never met one in person. And if his opponent was of the same ilk, holding back would get him nowhere.

Ray straightened his posture, preparing himself for a real fight. “We’ll find out in battle.”

“That’s the spirit!” Toby roared with laughter as he charged forward. Their swords clashed dozens of times, sending sparks flying into the air. The speed of their movements was so fast that it was almost impossible to keep up.

CLANG, BOOM, CRASH!

The force of their strikes created gusts of wind that whipped through the crowd, ruffling hair and stinging cheeks. One of the spectators, a knight, mumbled in disbelief.

“Is this really a fight between humans?”

The knight standing beside him nodded absentmindedly. It was as if demigods from ancient myths had come to life and were battling right before their eyes. Most of the onlookers had already given up trying to follow the action, their eyes unable to keep up with the incredible speed and power on display. Only a handful of knights were stubbornly trying to track every blow.

“Who’s winning?” someone asked.

“I can’t tell. Everything’s just a blur…”

“Sir Toby is winning,” came a voice from the crowd. All eyes turned toward the speaker—it was Sir Roderick, a knight whose eyes were bloodshot from concentrating too hard. He had been watching so intently that a thin stream of blood had started trickling from his nose.

“You can see it?” someone asked, incredulous.

“Not clearly, but I can catch glimpses here and there. Sir Ray is being pushed back, while Sir Toby is completely in control.”

The crowd fell silent, processing Roderick’s words. For many, the battle was still too fast to follow, but they began to trust Roderick’s judgment. As time passed, the duel slowed down enough for the average spectator to follow.

“He’s right! Sir Ray is on the defensive!”

“Sir Toby is completely dominating him!”

“Even now, I have to focus or I’ll miss it,” someone muttered, impressed by Roderick’s ability to follow the fight from the beginning. But with the fight’s momentum becoming clearer, the real spectacle was just beginning.

“This… this can’t be happening!” Ulrich’s hands trembled as he struggled to hold his glass steady. He had known Toby was strong, but this was far beyond what he had anticipated. What had happened to change things? Had he misjudged Toby all along?

‘This isn’t how it was supposed to go!’

While Ulrich’s plan was falling apart, Sylas watched the fight with a relaxed smile. Seeing Ulrich struggle to hide his emotions only amused him further.

‘As they say, when someone with a great reputation loses, much of that reputation gets passed on to the victor.’

Sylas had garnered quite a bit of prestige within the family, but nothing compared to Ulrich, who was known for his sharp eye and being the perfect heir. Now, part of that image would crumble, and the credit would go to Sylas.

‘Thanks for showing up, brother. You’ve made yourself the perfect stepping stone.’