Lord of Caldera

Chapter 148

"Are you trying to make a fool of me?" Philip's shout made the administrator flinch. The idea that the Corleone family's lineage traced back to a mere hunter seemed absurd.

"But, my lord, the only people by those names—Norman and his daughter Lyria—are them. No others match."

Fuming, Philip held back his frustration. The administrator might not be lying; it was more likely just an error that would soon be cleared up.

"Ask around. See if any of the locals remember them."

The barony was small, and the locals all knew each other's faces. If Norman had indeed been a hunter, someone would surely remember him. The findings, however, were unexpected. Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire

"Norman, you say? Ah, yes, I remember him well. He was an excellent hunter."

"What? He really existed?" Philip's face paled.

"Yes, my lord. And he had a daughter named Lyria. A beautiful girl she was, charming enough to catch the eye of a knight, I believe."

"Did they mention this knight's name?"

"I don't recall, but I remember his armor bore a red dragon emblem."

Philip's face drained of color. A red dragon—the emblem of the Corleone family. And this was from 17 years ago, before he had control of this land.

'If for some reason the head of the Corleone family visited then...' Philip thought. If Sylas Corleone, who now raised this ludicrous claim, was an illegitimate son, it would all make sense.

As realization dawned, Philip muttered, "So that's his justification?"

A noble without legitimate authority could never assert such a claim. But Sylas, an illegitimate son, was mixing his ancestor's commoner status with his own noble rank, amplifying their meager rights.

'The maddening part is, it holds up logically.'

Whether it was right or not didn't matter. As long as the argument held up in form, it could be used as justification, and Sylas's claim barely met that threshold.

"Damn it, this is troublesome."

"Father! Father!" His son, Larius, rushed in as Philip massaged his aching temples, adding to his irritation.

"What now?"

"What?" Philip was taken aback.

"My name is already on the family registry, and I've mastered our family's swordsmanship. So what does it matter if I'm illegitimate?"

Philip's eyes widened in shock.

Philip froze at the unexpected words. What? His name on the family registry? And he's learned the secret swordsmanship? That meant he wasn't treated much differently from a legitimate heir. He even had a claim to inheritance!

'Could he be a favored illegitimate son?' A cold sweat ran down Philip's back. The status of an illegitimate child varied by family and depended greatly on the head's favor. Most were disregarded, but a few enjoyed the same treatment as legitimate heirs. If Sylas was one of those...

'I'm doomed.'

"What's wrong? You don't look well," Sylas taunted, noticing Philip's distress.

Philip struggled to find words to respond. A favored son held a different weight entirely. Dealing with Sylas was far more challenging than he'd anticipated.

"Ahem, ahem! It's nothing," Philip stammered, trying to regain his composure.

"Is that so? Then let's continue our discussion," Sylas said, unbothered by Philip's reaction. Philip grit his teeth at the arrogance of the young man in front of him, but Sylas continued without hesitation.

"My purpose here is simple. As I stated in my declaration, you're ruining this land, and that's an insult to my mother's homeland."

"Utter nonsense!"

"Decide for yourself whether my words are nonsense," Sylas replied, silencing Philip's protests. "If you meet the following conditions, I will guarantee your safety."

"Conditions?"

"First..."

The conditions Sylas set were simple:

Baron Greve would transfer ownership of the territory to Sylas.Philip would leave the land without taking any supplies.Since this was a mutually agreed arrangement, Philip was not to protest it later.

Leaving a bewildered Philip behind, Sylas rose from his seat. As he left, his parting words echoed in Philip's mind.

"I'll give you three days to think it over. I hope you have an answer by then."