"Why are you antagonizing the young man, James?" Mildred, Arthur's older sister and a high-ranking agent, asked. She was higher than a superintendent, and her expression couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"I think our niece has a poor taste in men. Simple." James stated casually while shooting a glance at Godfrey.

Godfrey frowned and looked at Isolde, who silently focused on her meal, but he could tell she wasn't really interested in her food.

Was this lunch really lunch? Who would be able to eat properly with such tension?!

Well… he spoke too soon, as all the Pendragons were eating just fine. Isolde might be affected because he was the subject of this conversation.

"I doubt my daughter's taste can be poor. I gave birth to her, after all." Christine intervened as she gently wiped her mouth with a serviette.

James revealed a strained smile while Isolde whispered, "Thank you," in a soft, almost inaudible tone to her mother.

Even with all the love her father showered her with, he usually maintained a neutral stance before the extended family, and he was also analyzing her. She had known from the moment her elder brother passed on that the position of head was now her responsibility.

And that meant fighting against people like James, who was being heavily supported to take over after her father.

There had never been a female head. A female regent, yes, but never a true head of the family. She might be the first.

After Christine's intervention, no one spoke up again.

***

Time trickled by, and evening finally came. Godfrey wore a black suit and examined himself before a mirror.

"Wow." He didn't think he had ever looked this good in any attire before. It was so well-fitting that Godfrey feared the tailor got his measurements while he slept.

The fabric wasn't common. 'This suit would probably cost over a million. And this golden dragon insignia is quite cool.' He touched the stylish badge pinned to his collar.

The suit accentuated his muscular frame and long legs.

As Godfrey came out and walked through the corridor, he noticed maids gawking at him. Some kept looking at him even after he had left a good distance between them.

'Am I late?'

As he looked at his watch, an enticing scent flowed into his nostrils, prompting him to lift his head and turn into another corridor. There, about two dozen feet away, stood a dazzling beauty.

Isolde's wavy hair cascaded down to her waist. She wore a black gown that stopped just before her knees, outlining her body, which she had turned into a devastating weapon to the eyes through years of gym work and beauty care.

She also wore rope-strap heels, the ones that narrowed the height difference between her and Godfrey, albeit a little.

To help her innocent victims, she hung a fur-padded coat over her shoulder, the sleeves hanging loosely by her side as she froze, her purse half-open as she was checking for something before he appeared.

"G-Godfrey?" Isolde stammered innocently as both of them were mesmerized by each other. They had both put a lot into their looks to stun the other party, and it worked, they were speechless.

Godfrey smiled. "You look great."

Isolde rolled her eyes, but the charming pink shade of her cheeks couldn't be hidden. 'I admit he was muscular before, but it wasn't that visible. His hair and face were his outstanding factors, but look at his shoulders?! Is this the same boy I forced to jog with me?'

Isolde freaked out inwardly. Godfrey was looking too much like a man, and it sent signals all over her body.

Isolde eventually composed herself, but Godfrey watched the entire process with a soft smile.

"Why are you smiling?" Isolde bit her lower lip as she widened her eyes, glaring at him.

"Nothing."

"So you're smiling for no reason?" She raised an eyebrow.

"You have no idea how beautiful you look. It's enough to make me smile." Godfrey quipped.

Isolde scoffed, but Godfrey suddenly pulled her close and pecked her forehead.

He paused there, one hand holding her wrist, the other around her back. The fact that he could easily pull her showed all her guard was down around him.

Completely down.

He could stab a knife through her throat and kill her on the spot. This was the danger of such emotion between them, and he was glad she had such vulnerability before him. Even if she was a dragon, he would be her knight.

Those who could shrug off her claws and flames would face the cold touch of his blade. She was his dragon, and he was her knight.

Isolde's heart almost burst, or that was how she felt as they stayed in such close proximity, feeling the heat radiating from their bodies along with their scents.

"Godfrey…" Isolde said with a very soft tone.

Godfrey distanced himself and held his fingers behind him.

"Don't worry, no more touching." He chuckled. His heart was also pounding; he just thanked God she didn't hear it.

"So, down to business. The man who verbally attacked me is James, your father's younger brother, and the other one with black hair who defended me is your father's elder sister, Mildred."

"Yes. My uncle has quite a lot of backing from other Pendragons. He's not as powerful as my father, but he's so self-absorbed in gaining the position that he can't see all he would achieve there is being a good puppet." Isolde replied.

"I have one question though. How many Pendragons are there exactly?"

Isolde approached the door before them and swung it open. A grand hall filled with almost a hundred people reflected in Godfrey's eyes.

Godfrey couldn't believe his eyes. This many people were in just one family, and most of them, apart from those married into the family, had dragons.

This was a family where even the weakest might be a Lord Tier, and quite a good number of them were influential figures in their sectors.

Christine, who wore a mermaid dress and was surrounded by women and men, walked out of their midst.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the house, I introduce to you my daughter, Isolde Pendragon, and her partner, Godfrey Daniels."

Christine's words sparked an uproar.

"Did she just say partner?"

"It was leaked that he is the golden masked man that fought off the monsters that subdued Brooklyn."

"Isolde's partner! That can't be possible!" a young Pendragon gasped.

"Shocked?" Geoffrey crackled and sipped his wine. "Don't even think of doing anything stupid. That Godfrey is as terrifying as Isolde. God knows how they fell for each other. I can understand Godfrey falling for Isolde, I mean, most of us went through that stage, but her falling for him is a miracle. I once thought it would be Jon."

"He's a Vagabond. How can Isolde choose to have a Vagabond as a partner?" Whispers and murmurs rang everywhere.

"Looks like I received a warm welcome." Godfrey whispered to Isolde, who held down her laughter. It was clear these people had the opposite reaction to his announcement, and she was also shocked that her mother said partner.

She was afraid her mother would have opted to say friend instead. That would have troubled her, as it would mean her mother still had lots of reservations.

"You look charming," Christine said with a smile.

"Thank you," Godfrey replied with a humble smile.

***

A few hours later, Godfrey entered his room and sat on his bed. It was already close to 10 p.m. He cracked his neck and was about to loosen his tie when he heard a knock.

"I have not locked the door. At least not yet," Godfrey said casually, but the moment the door opened, he saw Arthur Pendragon standing outside.

He quickly rose to his feet.

"Come. I would like you to meet the elders," Arthur said. Godfrey quickly followed him. They left the manor and walked through a small path through the forest, and after a few minutes of silence, Godfrey saw a dome-like structure.

Godfrey entered with Arthur and found himself in a round hall with five stone thrones, with masked men seated on all five.

"This is Godfrey Daniels. I see him as a good partner for my daughter. She's of age, and with the rate of death, denying them their desire in the name of being too young is trivial."

"He's the one you say has five summons. That is good, but this young man is a Vagabond. We shall give our verdict after he has completely cleared his name and established himself," one of the elders said.

"I recommend him," Arthur said firmly.

"You are the head, and we stay away from most matters, but this is about our greatest talent and future leader. She has been coming to the island to learn from us. We all know the potential she has. No one can match it. We might change our minds in the next two decades."

Arthur shut his eyes for a moment. "I know the potential of my daughter's first summon might be of the Origin Tier, but that's a probability.

And I almost forgot to introduce Godfrey properly."

Arthur pointed at a diamond-shaped crystal. It looked extremely similar to the one Ronald had. "Go touch it."

Godfrey approached it. He didn't know what this thing was, but if Arthur said he should touch it, he must have his reason.

The moment he placed his hand on it, a rainbow light burst out of it. Indigo meant Divine Tier; rainbow meant Origin Tier!

"This is the most talented summoner I and you have ever seen," Arthur stated as shock swept into the hearts of the elders.

But at that moment, a golden light tore out, reflecting on the ceiling with stars of different colours. It was so bright everyone was dumbfounded; they couldn't remove their eyes from it until the crystal, so hard that a King Tier's flames couldn't harm it, cracked open.

'What was that just now?' Godfrey gasped. Once again, he was shocked. It would seem that his tier itself had exceeded Origin Tier and not just his potential.

Now that it had grown, his potential had stepped into a new level, it was like the galaxy, boundless, infinite, and ever-expanding.

It shouldn't be possible, but… his castle was growing.

Nobody, not even Arthur, expected this sudden revelation.

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