Lord of Caldera

Chapter 41

It was a curse he couldn't break, even after consulting everyone knowledgeable about magic. There was no way it would be broken just by drinking warm beer.

He was pulling his hair out at the thought that he had been mocked until now. Seeing him like that, Sylas clicked his tongue and explained.

"Do you know what a curse is? Do you understand how it works?"

"Well... I don't know. I'm a knight, not a magician."

"Then listen up. Generally, the more difficult the conditions are to break a curse, the easier it is to forcibly lift it."

For example, let's say there's a curse that can only be broken by eating a flower that blooms only at the top of the highest mountain in the world. Naturally, a person cursed that way would likely never be able to break it, no matter how hard they tried.

However, the more difficult the condition becomes, the weaker the curse's "thickness" gets. If someone who knows the structure hits it with a hammer, it shatters. This is generally how curses are forcibly broken.

"So, those who cast curses don't usually set difficult conditions. They instead twist easy conditions into a knot."

"Twist it into a knot?"

"Let's say someone has been cursed. But the method to break the curse is to kick a child. That's an incredibly easy condition."

"That's true. There are kids everywhere."

A curse that can be broken quickly if one puts their mind to it, regardless of their character. If the condition is this simple, the curse's thickness becomes stronger.

It would never shatter, no matter how much you hit it with an ordinary hammer from the outside. To break such a curse, the cursed individual has no choice but to break it themselves.

"But what if the person cursed is a priest who loves children? Wouldn't they inadvertently break the curse?"

"..."

Toby became a mute, as if he had swallowed honey. Indeed, in such a case, unless they knew the condition, they would never be able to break the curse in their lifetime.

Seeing Toby speechless, Sylas calmly explained.

"You're from the south, right?"

"That's right."

"Which do you prefer, beer or wine?"

"Northern folks' beer is just piss. The wine from the south is true alcohol."

"Would you drink warm beer if I had it?"

"Beer that's not cold is tasteless, so why would I..."

'You don't have to completely change your behavior, but at least make it seem like you have. You said you resolved to become a noble knight.'

He reluctantly nodded. Honestly, he thought it was pointless to do so now. However, since it was his lord's order, he had to give it a try.

"Yes, reflecting on my past actions, I found many points to improve, and I swore to become a true knight."

The knights blinked in surprise at Toby's words. Seeing their reactions made Toby smirk.

'Well, I wouldn't believe it either...'

"How surprising! sir Toby has made such a grand resolution!"

"Indeed, the lord has truly changed you!"

"...!?"

Toby flinched at their intense reactions. Contrary to his expectations, the knights showered him with praise for his words of repentance.

'What's with these guys?'

Toby tilted his head, confused. What reason did they have to believe him so easily? Toby's assumption was correct. They were not trusting him, but rather Sylas.

''I knew Lord Sylas was no ordinary person, but... ''

''I never imagined he would even change Lord Toby!''

''Calling him a seed of a hero is not an exaggeration.''

Since arriving at Count Corleone's household, Sylas had been making waves. This time, he had proclaimed the "Declaration of Rebirth for Lord Toby." Naturally, from the knights' perspective, it was only natural to think that the lord had achieved yet another accomplishment.

Unaware of this fact, Toby cleared his throat and began to fabricate a story.

"Yes, the lord has given me light while I wandered in darkness."

"What happened? I want to know what prompted your change of heart!"

"That would be this morning. Awakened by a stern reprimand, I sensed a fateful encounter. When I opened the door, there he stood, with the sun at his back..."

"Ohhh!"

Ignoring the captivated knights, Toby put on a distant expression. Every time he recited a dramatic line, the knights were moved, and it made him want to chuckle.

'This is more fun than I thought.'

It was the moment when a vassal perfectly understood his lord.