Lord of Caldera

Chapter 103

Leon clutched his forehead, looking bewildered.

"Did... did I just get hit?"

The incident had happened so suddenly that he wasn't entirely sure. It wasn't until Sylas spoke that he fully grasped the situation.

"This time, I was faster."

Leon's eyes trembled at Sylas's calm voice. How could this be? He hadn't even seen the sword move.

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"It's just a fluke! It has to be!" he thought, suppressing his anxiety and readying himself again. Clearly, his own impatience had left an opening for the attack. This time, he resolved to approach calmly to avoid making the same mistake.

"If I just get close enough to knock his wooden sword aside..."

Thwack.

"Ugh!?"

As soon as their wooden swords clashed, Leon felt a spark of pain flare on his forehead again. Sylas's sword had struck precisely the same spot.

Leon staggered backward, eyes wide in disbelief.

"What on earth...!?"

Again, he hadn't seen the attack. The speed wasn't even that fast! As Leon struggled to process what had happened, Sylas chuckled.

"Shall we continue?"

"...Of course!" Leon gritted his teeth and charged at Sylas once more. This time, he planned a straightforward, powerful attack. If he struck quickly and forcefully, his opponent would have no choice but to confront him head-on.@@@@

"Let's see if he can handle this!"

As Leon's wooden sword swung down, Sylas's sword moved as well. At the moment they clashed—

Thwack.

"What...? He deflected my sword to the side?"

Leon's mind reeled. Deflecting a blow to another direction wasn't easy—it required exact control. If the force was misjudged, the deflection wouldn't fully block the blow, or the deflector might even lose balance. Yet Sylas's maneuver was flawless.

After seeing his direct and straightforward father for so long, it was refreshing for Sylas to see the subtleties of noble behavior. Nobility, after all, was inherently political.

"Leon, I'd like you to host Sir Sylas in my stead."

"Of course, Father. I won't bring shame to our family name."

Leon smiled brightly as he accepted his father's instructions, causing Sylas to click his tongue in amusement.

"He's still smiling, even with that red mark on his forehead."

In terms of swordsmanship, Leon had much to learn, but in political insight, he was already his father's equal.

Sylas followed Leon to the reception room, where fine wine and light refreshments had already been prepared. Evidently, it had been set up well before the duel ended.

"This wine is from the Lergren region in the South. Its aroma is quite pleasant."

With a brief explanation, Leon poured their glasses. The wine was indeed rich in both flavor and aroma. After they each took a sip, the real conversation began.

"I've heard much about your accomplishments, Sir Sylas."

"I simply did my duty as a knight."

"What did you think of the western territories as you traveled?"

"There were quite a lot of monsters."

It was the same response he had given to Beric. There was no creativity in his answer, but honestly, it was hard to find anything else to say. Everywhere he went, it was monsters, monsters, and more monsters. In these troublesome lands, anyone would associate the western territories with monsters.

"You're correct. The West is indeed a land of hardships and, as such, always yearns for powerful knights."

"Like Sir Ray, for example?"

"Precisely."

Leon looked directly at Sylas as he spoke.

"Lately, the monster situation has worsened. I always think about how reassuring it would be to have someone like my sister with us."

"Unfortunate indeed. One can only hope for another knight like her someday."

Despite Sylas's clear refusal, Leon's face stiffened slightly. He quickly forced a smile and took another sip of wine.

"Well, wouldn't it be even more reassuring if someone who's already here took up the role?"