Chapter 242: A Clone Or Not

’I only wiped out his memory for the day and sent him back to the morning. For the rest of the world, he was at the meeting, but he thinks he just woke up. No one would believe him, but I feel Godfrey might not outright kill him.’ Sebastian muttered to himself while he sat on a prison bed.

His lips curled up a bit. ’The true aim was to sow a seed of doubt, and I’m hundred percent certain it worked. None of them knows who’s the clone or if there’s any.’

He smiled but frowned in the next second.

’However... there’s this odd feeling within me. Could it be that there’s something that has eluded me?’

***

The door to the living room in the Pendragon Mansion was opened by a butler, and Godfrey stepped in.

Christine and Arthur had sharper expressions when Snow came in after him.

"Were you able to do anything about my daughter?" Christine asked. She didn’t know who stabbed Isolde, but nothing they did could close the wound.

"Yes. I can bring her back to life." Godfrey said, watching Snow from the corner of his eye. Snow looked genuinely shocked and then relieved.

But that couldn’t exclude the fact that he was a clone. If someone like his headmaster could be a clone and still be kind, the chances of Snow not being one of Cain’s clones were slim.Christine covered her mouth and swiftly left the room as her eyes moistened.

Arthur rose to his feet. "The same way you helped that elf knight?""That was the only way." Godfrey responded.

"She’ll return as a knight then." Arthur sighed but cheered himself up. That was much better than her being dead for good.

After exhaling one final time, Arthur turned to Snow. "Both of you left the hall. What happened?"

"I... I don’t know." Snow hung his head low.

"He doesn’t remember a thing. According to him, he woke up this evening." Godfrey’s response made Arthur’s frown deepen.

"That’s the same thing the dragon officers said. They said he just left the room this evening, but it’s impossible for him to do that."

"Is it?" Godfrey raised an eyebrow while looking at Snow.

"He thinks he’s a clone." Godfrey said as he sat down.

Arthur looked at Snow. "A clone. For all we know, many here might be clones, and there’s no way to tell a clone apart from a real person."

Arthur sat down and entwined his fingers.

"Cain’s clones are everywhere. And we can’t tell who is and who isn’t. If we go the route of being easily suspicious, not only will we be heavily fooled, there would be no trust whatsoever. We would break from within while Cain grows stronger."

"So we know quite a bit about Cain but can’t use it against him." Godfrey frowned.

"Even if you can tell the clones apart, they live their own lives, they have their own personalities. Will you kill them all? In a way, they’re victims used to make us victims." Arthur sighed.

"Cain has trapped us in a loop."

’Not for long. Isolde should know something. Once she wakes up, I will be able to find out who killed her. For now... I can’t trust a soul foolishly.’ Godfrey mused inwardly.

"So what are you guys going to do with me?" Arthur and Godfrey looked at Snow.

"You can’t leave this island." Godfrey said. Arthur looked at him with a raised eyebrow but didn’t say a word.

"This island is pretty big. I can escape, if you don’t know." Snow replied.

"Then I’ll find you..." Godfrey rose to his feet. His cold eyes rested on Snow. "... And kill you."

"I need some air. I’ll be back."

As Godfrey walked away, Snow’s eyes narrowed. Was it him, or had Godfrey changed a little bit too much? He was a lot more commanding and quite cold. Isolde’s death might be a catalyst for this Godfrey.

***

While Godfrey made his way through the forest, his mind went back to what he gained after rescuing his mother.

He didn’t know what happened to Ballista, but after that, he gained access to a part of the castle that wasn’t a chamber. Instead, he found thousands of Golden Order Knights, all on one knee.

The heavy infantry unit, the archery unit, all of them in a vast place. Though they were petrified, he could summon them, although he couldn’t gain anything from them. Their mission was just to do whatever he ordered them to.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t take a step in that place, or else he would have checked out the throne.

When he had gone quite deep into the man-made forest around the mansion, Godfrey exhaled, his eyes gleaming softly, as two knights came out of portals.

Not his chiefs or commanders, but normal knights with giant bows. "Monitor the black haired man that leaves that mansion. Stay out of his range too."

Both knights nodded, became invisible, and left. When Snow came out of the mansion, they followed him, ensuring there was great distance between them and Snow.

Godfrey knew this surveillance wasn’t full proof. Snow was an Origin Tier, there was a possibility he could still spot them, but then it would let him know Godfrey’s eyes were still on him.

He kept to a tree branch and sat on it. Isolde’s death made him realize peace was far from reach. Cain wanted to use him, Cain wanted the Golden Order Knights.

That was what Gabriel told him, and since it was the Golden Order Knights that brought his downfall, it was quite obvious Cain would either convert them or loathe them.

But considering his mindset, using those knights to achieve his ambition would be better than seeking vengeance.

’Right now, I’m blind. If Snow is indeed a clone and he could be used, doesn’t that mean the clones at paradise could lose it at any moment? Paradise isn’t safe, but where is safe?’

Godfrey clenched his teeth.

Getting stronger was the only path forward he could see for now. No matter how strong he got, Cain was like a green snake in a green grass.

’Maybe I should speak to Gabriel. He knows a lot, he might be able to offer good advice on what to do. Or maybe I should find a way to speak to the headmaster, he might be helpful.’

Godfrey shut his eyes.

What should he do?

Where was safe?

His eyes opened in his soul space. Staring at the magnificent castle, a certain sense of peace settled in his heart.

It dawned on Godfrey. ’I feel safe here, but my true body is outside. But can’t I unleash my castle, it’s my summon after all. If I can’t now, what about when I become a king? Will it be possible then?’

He walked into the castle and went straight to the last door. Previously, when he came, it had only runes, but now the door was plain with a towering spear etched at where both sides of the door met.