The more mythical the story, the more people would be drawn to it—especially if it wasn’t just a tale but the truth. Reduce the truth to make it more believable?
’Ridiculous.’
If they couldn’t believe it, he’d just have to prove it before their very eyes. Sylas had the strength to do that. Lost in these thoughts, time passed quickly.
"Young Master Sylas, it’s time for the evening banquet," a maid’s voice called.
"I understand," he replied, getting up from the bed. Changing into suitable attire, Sylas headed to the banquet hall, where his father’s retainers were already gathered.
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As soon as he entered, all eyes fell upon him.
"The guest of honor has arrived!" Count Bill took Sylas’s hand and led him to the seat of honor. Raising a goblet filled with wine, he exclaimed, "My son has returned after achieving countless accomplishments over the past year. How can we not celebrate? Let us commemorate this with three days of feasting, so enjoy to your heart’s content!"
"For the brilliant future of Young Master Sylas!"
"For the glory of our lord and the Corleone family!"
The knights raised their goblets and toasted. After draining his cup, the Count, who had been holding back his curiosity, finally asked the question.
"Now, tell us. How much of the rumor is true? We all want to hear of your achievements firsthand."
At that moment, silence fell over the hall as everyone eagerly waited for Sylas’s words. Feeling their gazes, Sylas smiled and stood.
"A knight without tales to boast is no knight at all, is he? I shall share everything with you here."
"Ooh!" A cheer erupted among the knights. Clearing his throat, Sylas began recounting his journey step by step.
He started with his journey westward in search of Ray.
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"When I arrived in the West, I was astonished by the number of monsters I encountered. Though it was always known to have many, the sheer volume was overwhelming."
He focused on the parts that would captivate them most while tastefully omitting unnecessary or private details, like Ray’s family matters or his own fluency in Elvish. The main story revolved around Count Valdemar and the Elves.
"…It turned out that Count Valdemar could understand Elvish. He had deceived everyone with false translations until now."
"How despicable!"
"Shameless scoundrel!"
Everyone in the hall was enraptured by Sylas’s story. No one touched the food scattered around, only occasionally sipping wine to moisten their throats as they listened intently. When Sylas described the Count’s demise and the beginning of trade with the Elves, applause erupted.
Even Count Bill was spellbound by Sylas’s tale. When Sylas finished, he regained his composure and spoke.
"Truly a remarkable adventure. Now I understand why the Elves proposed a marriage alliance."
"The Grand Duke had always intended to propose it, but the lack of opposition is largely thanks to our family’s reputation."
"The Elves called our founder, Leonik, the Half-Dragon Lachesis. It’s astonishing that our founder is even more famous among the Elves," the Count said, smiling with pride for his family. However, his expression soon shifted as his eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"The story of the West was fascinating, but can you tell us about the North?"
The Western tale was impressive, but most of the more unbelievable rumors had come from the North, and the Count was eager to hear them firsthand. Others leaned closer, eyes widening in anticipation.
"I was just about to share that. After finishing my affairs in the West, I traveled North..."
Sylas’s storytelling resumed, this time recounting even more events, making the narrative even longer than the Western tale.
He spoke of the civil war between Bjorn and his uncle, the chieftain Ragnar, the Platinum Council, and the Northern king. The story continued until the food in the banquet hall had long gone cold.
"...And so, the chieftain abdicated, and Bjorn took the throne. It was a truly noble concession."
"…"
"…"
Sylas looked around after finishing his tale. Everyone in the banquet hall was staring at him with strange expressions.
"Yes, I’ve heard the story well," Count Bill was the first to gather his composure and speak, though his expression was not unlike the others’.
"Your meeting with Duke—no, King Bjorn—was certainly intriguing," he said.
"Connections often begin with coincidences," Sylas replied.
"True enough. It was rather convenient that the chieftain’s involvement came right after you reclaimed the family."
"The timing was flawless," Sylas agreed.
Up to this point, there were no issues. Participating in the Platinum Council and aiding in selecting a king to keep Ragnar in check seemed plausible enough. But the story after the first trial became increasingly hard to believe. Count Bill could almost believe the vision of Godfrey, but beyond that…
"You said you gained power by consuming a dragon’s heart?"
"I recalled a passage I’d read about it and acted on that," Sylas explained.
"And that granted you strength on par with Sir Toby and Sir Ray?"
"Exactly," Sylas answered confidently.
Count Bill fell silent, staring at Sylas’s unyielding expression. If he claimed it was true, there was little he could do. But there were still other points he couldn’t ignore.
"In the second trial, you said you fought a hydra."
"A straightforward one-on-one duel," Sylas replied.
"And how did you manage to defeat the hydra?"
"The memory of our ancestor Leonik descended into my body, allowing me to cut the creature to pieces with a single stroke," Sylas said nonchalantly.
Bill almost shouted at the absurdity. He’d seen the hydra’s heads himself—they were thick enough that slicing through them in one blow with a sword seemed impossible.
"Is there anything else you’d like to ask?"
"One last thing—about the Six Dragon Battle. How did you manage to sever the heads of the dragons one by one?"
"It was simple," Sylas said.
He explained it plainly. "One was cut from head to toe in a single stroke. Afterward, I needed some help because I had exerted too much energy."
"And that help was…?" the Count inquired.
"They held off the others so I could take them down one by one. Thankfully, everyone held out well," Sylas replied.