Chapter 391

Chapter 391

Other people were really unhappy with me talking to their king like that, and they probably wanted to shut me up for good.

Brandon, on the other hand, remained calm. His composure alone made it clear that he was meant to be in the king's seat.

Brandon was as calm as a still lake, his voice steady, "I promise you, I won't take away your chips. Here, in front of all Atlanteans, I swear to our great gods that if I break my word, we Atlanteans will suffer endless curses from the Atlantis princess and Lana."

After making his vow, Brandon asked me, "Is this acceptable to you?"

I took a moment to size up Brandon. Despite his hidden depths, he didn't lack the demeanor of a king who wouldn't just shout orders and kill people left and right. So, I trusted this king.

I signaled to Carl with my eyes. Back in the cell, I had already handed over the pendant I was wearing to Carl for what was to come.

Carl nodded in understanding, pulled out the pendant from his pocket, lifted it up, and showed it to everyone.

"This is one of the pendants from the pair. The other one is still being kept by the Bird Tribe, waiting for the next queen to take over. This one is a token carried by the leader. But since it belongs to you Atlanteans, you should all recognize it," I explained.

Brandon waved to Leroy, "Leroy, bring it here."

Soon enough, the pendant was presented to Brandon.

After confirming it, Brandon had Leroy bring in some appraisal ministers to verify that the pendant was indeed the token Ralph had given to the Atlantis princess.

Brandon then returned the pendant to Carl, saying, "Since the pendant is with him, it proves that he is a descendant of Amelia and a member of our royal family in exile."

Upon hearing this, some ministers immediately stepped forward, eager to hold the royal family accountable for the centuries-old crime of Amelia's escape. "So, King Brandon, how should we address the matter of Amelia's escape? Even though it happened a long time ago, it was a real event."

"Yes, Amelia's escape may have happened over a thousand years ago, but we cannot overlook it just because time has passed. Otherwise, it would disrupt the system of Atlantis and be unfair to others, and the royal family members would become even more audacious, disregarding the rules of Atlantis!" someone exclaimed.

"It definitely can't be resolved so easily!" another person interjected. "Just because they are royalty, we can't ignore what happened. If a prince breaks the law, he should face the same consequences as a commoner. Therefore, the royal family must be held accountable!"

Soon, chaos erupted below, with some supporting the punishment of the royal family and others defending them.

Some, with ulterior motives, even sought to overthrow the king, and the tide turned against Brandon.

Leroy sighed deeply and looked up at Brandon, "King Brandon, this matter is beyond my control. What do you suggest we do?"

Brandon shook his head, his expression unchanged. "This matter indeed cannot be easily resolved. As the king, I must provide an explanation to everyone, so..."

Brandon paused here, as if intentionally leaving it hanging.

Seizing the opportunity, I stepped forward and raised a crucial question. "King Brandon, why must the royal family be held accountable?"

I gazed up at Brandon, who seemed to have a hint of a smile on his face, though it was hard to discern from a distance.

Brandon took on the question and replied, "Because that's how the system in Atlantis works. Any fugitive, whether noble or commoner, will bring consequences upon their entire family to prevent more people from seeking the dangers outside and disrupting the thousand-year-old tradition of Atlantis!"

"So..." Brandon continued, "bringing back Amelia's descendant is the royal family's responsibility!"

To the Atlanteans, this statement seemed straightforward, but to me, it felt like a veiled threat.

In a way, he was telling us that it was our fault that the royal family had to bear the consequences, and we needed to handle the situation properly if we wanted to stay safe.

It was clear that there was a deeper meaning in his words, and I suspected that not everyone in our group had caught on to Brandon's intentions.

Turning to the Atlanteans below, I feigned confusion, "I still don't understand. What does this have to do with the royal family and Amelia?"

Someone countered, "How can you say it's unrelated? It was Amelia who fled. Your words are strange!"

I continued to scan the crowd, speaking mysteriously, "Is it really Amelia?"

"Are you here to cause trouble? Of course, it's her..." the person began.

Before they could finish, I interjected, "Is it truly Amelia's soul, or is it Lana's soul, the one who cursed all of Atlantis?"

As soon as I said this, a strange silence fell over the scene. It seemed that the revelation of Amelia being possessed by Lana's soul had been an ongoing nightmare for the Atlanteans, hence no one dared to refute me.

With no one opposing me, the debate had turned into my own personal show.

"A puppet controlled, devoid of life and freedom. What wrong has she done?" I continued, "Was it truly Amelia's will to escape and make the royal family bear the burden, or was it the actions of Lana, who controlled Amelia's life?"

"Whether Amelia is Lana or not, let's put that aside for now. Why did Lana steal the pendant Ralph gave to the Atlantis princess and flee? There must be a reason," I questioned the crowd.

Some began to answer, "Because she wanted to find Ralph's reincarnated soul, defying the royal family's objections."

Snapping my fingers, I began to piece together the events. "Even if she was Amelia, why did she not fulfill her duties as a princess and instead steal the pendant to run away? And why did she want to find Ralph's reincarnated soul when she didn't even know him?"

"Furthermore, a person doesn't act without reason. There must be a motive, or it simply doesn't make sense."

I then proposed a hypothetical outcome of Amelia's escape, "But what if she truly was Lana's soul? Wouldn't that provide a reason?"

The conclusion was clear, but I wanted to delve deeper into the topic, making it impossible for anyone to avoid.

Leroy picked up on my cue and chimed in, "Indeed, if Amelia is Lana's soul, her actions were to find Ralph. Now that Amelia's descendant has returned, what does that signify? It means Lana has indeed found Ralph through the pendant and left behind a descendant, using Amelia's identity to bear the royal family's offspring."

"So," I shrugged, "what fault lies with Amelia? What fault lies with the royal family? Amelia was merely a puppet controlled by Lana, forced to flee and make the innocent royal family bear the consequences. These wrongs were caused by Lana, not Amelia or the royal family. As Atlanteans, shouldn't you hold Lana accountable for her actions instead of blaming Amelia and the royal family unfairly?"

"Exactly!" Unexpectedly, Edward was the first to speak out against the accusations. After all, if he didn't, his position would be compromised.

"Everyone knows that Amelia was under Lana's control, so it's not the royal family's fault. It's Lana's fault. She not only cursed our original kingdom but also continues to torment us with her curse. How long will she torture us? It's been thousands of years, and we're still trapped within these walls, unable to escape!"