Others Summon Dragons, I Summon Legendary Knights

Chapter 540: Unfortunate News

"What happened?" Arthur asked.

He sat on a sofa in one of the mansion’s sitting rooms, his elbows resting on his thighs and his fingers entwined. Isolde sat beside him with one leg crossed over the other.

"He’s depleted," she replied.

"That sounds much better than what I feared. It’s good that he isn’t wounded, but we can’t let people know he’s run out of mana. If they find out, the authorities will realise the gate to Pathan can’t be opened at the moment, and they’ll take advantage of it. It could destroy the hope we’ve given these people. Imagine what they would do to Staten Island."

Isolde studied her father’s concerned expression. "It’s crazy how even something like running out of mana has become such a critical issue when it comes to him."

"He’s beyond a public figure now. He’s a symbol, a promise that Humanoid Summoners can have a better future. If he dies, there’s no telling when another opportunity like this will come."

Isolde nodded softly, her lips pressed into a thin line. "I can handle external threats, but Staten Island will soon become overcrowded. Are there no other nations or states willing to join our cause? The Unknown King is prepared to use force, and once that happens, the fragile peace we have now will be gone."

"There is one. Athens. The citizens are grateful for Paradise’s intervention during their time of need, and their government is willing to accept Humanoid Summoners. Sofia has assured me that the arrangement will most likely extend nationwide."

Arthur smiled when he saw his daughter’s face light up, although his brows soon drew together.

"But she’s concerned about her daughter. She’s informed me that the girl is in Paradise."

"I’ll see what I can do to contact Lucy or Percival," Isolde replied readily.

"You’ve already tried several times."

"I have a clue about which dungeon the city is in. Lucy mentioned something about it before she returned. I’m not certain, but it’s worth a try."

Isolde rose to her feet and headed towards the door, but Arthur couldn’t bring himself to let her leave without saying something.

"Isolde..."

She turned towards him. Arthur looked into her draconic eyes, which still held the same warmth he had always known, and spoke softly.

"Be careful."

Isolde smiled. "I will."

He held her gaze until she turned away and the door closed behind her. Then he picked up his phone, dialled a number and waited for an answer. The call went unanswered, so he tried again, and then a third time.

Finally, someone picked up.

"I thought I told you not to call this line again," a woman said sternly.

"What is going on concerns everyone."

"My house will not be involved in this war. Your own house is barely united, Arthur. You, your adopted daughter and your wife might be the only ones representing your household. Stop this."

"You stand as the sixth most powerful household. If you join our campaign, people will be swayed," Arthur insisted.

The call ended abruptly, leaving Arthur listening to the steady beeping in his ear. Veins stood out along his arms as his grip tightened around the phone, but after a moment, he cleared his throat, forcing away a chuckle and slowly placed it on the table.

He then walked over to an antique telephone, dialled the same number and raised the handset to his ear.

"Arthur."

It was the same voice, although this time it had lost some of its sharpness.

"I have my reservations."

"Godfrey is stronger than you know," Arthur replied.

"I don’t want to doubt you, but if this revolution is to succeed, I believe we need what he is now rather than what he was."

Arthur grimaced. "What he is now is not him."

"That is precisely my point. The Unknown King represents us. He represents the people. He said it himself that he has no name, no identity. We call him whatever we wish, and we define him. That is what drives people. Godfrey already has an identity, and he might not be as charismatic as the Unknown King. Perhaps he isn’t even as strong. The fact that I can say this while knowing they are the same person should tell you just how charismatic the Unknown King is."

Arthur fell silent. As painful as it was to admit, Mrs. Kingsley had a point. Godfrey and the Unknown King were leagues apart in power and presence, but he would not allow this revolution to become the chains that stripped Godfrey of his identity and deprived his daughter of her partner.

"Arthur..." Mrs. Kingsley called.

Just then, the door opened and Isolde walked in.

Arthur lowered the handset onto its cradle and turned towards her, his brows drawing together when he noticed her distraught expression.

"What is it?" he asked, approaching her.

"They’re here," she said.

"Who?" Arthur tilted his head.

"Lucy. She’s here with Percival, Isaac and Godfrey’s dad."

Arthur’s frown deepened. "Isn’t that supposed to be good news?"

Isolde didn’t answer. She walked over to the sofa and sat down, her expression troubled.

Arthur sat beside her. He could tell she needed time to process whatever she had heard. He could have gone to Lucy and the others to learn what had happened directly, but seeing his daughter in such a state made him reluctant to leave her.

Eventually, Isolde looked at him. Her lower eyelids were slightly red.

"Valentina is dead."

"W-What?" Arthur leaned back in disbelief. "How? Wasn’t she in Paradise?"

"Cain created Paradise, and..." Isolde hesitated. "They said she killed herself."

’My mother is the Mana Tree.’

Godfrey’s words echoed in Arthur’s mind, leaving him conflicted. Would he really want Godfrey to return only to be confronted with this reality?

"Cain destroyed what he created," Isolde continued. "He killed a lot of people, including Mrs. Athens’s daughter."

For a moment, Arthur felt as though the world had shifted beneath him. He forgot to breathe, his thoughts struggling to settle on what he had just heard.

They had been so close to securing the support of an entire nation, and now that possibility had vanished like smoke. Mrs. Athens had been willing to open her country to Humanoid Summoners, but with her daughter dead in Paradise, Arthur could hardly expect those negotiations to continue as before.

Staten Island would be cornered.

He could do what Mrs. Kingsley wanted. He could preserve the Unknown King’s identity and persuade her to open her doors to their cause, but that would come at a cost.

Arthur looked at his daughter.

Could he really do that to her? To Godfrey?

Ronald was here now.

The time for Godfrey to return was drawing near.