After understanding the situation, Loneliness left with a cold expression, leaving only a brief statement behind as he exited the Martial Arts League.
"The Flaherty family helped me a lot," he said.
Chester stood frozen, eyes wide in disbelief.
Once Loneliness had departed, Chester quickly made his way to the law enforcement department. There, he found a haggard Alexandra. He approached her with a mix of complexity and relief. "Miss Flaherty, it's all right. We believe you had no involvement in this matter."
The reason for Alexandra's investigation had been to determine whether the Flaherty family had any connection to the formation of private military forces. However, upon hearing Chester's words, Alexandra found herself momentarily stunned and confused. She knew that her father had trained dangerous individuals, yet even if she wasn't directly involved, there was the possibility that she could be seen as complicit, either by covering up or by association. She had expected to be questioned for crucial information, but now, Chester's sudden reversal was suspicious.
"Can you tell me why?" Alexandra asked, her voice tinged with doubt.
After a moment of contemplation, Chester, feeling there was no longer a need for secrecy, replied, "General Loneliness came to me just now and said that the Flaherty family once helped him."
The mention of the general—a prominent figure among the 36 guardians of the United States—was significant. As one of the most influential people in the martial arts world, the general's endorsement could clear the Flaherty family of suspicion. Chester explained that as a result, the Flaherty family would be able to avoid direct punishment but would need to maintain a low profile to avoid further complications. The general's words carried substantial weight in this case.
But Alexandra couldn't remember any time the Flaherty family had helped General Loneliness. Could it have been her father?
Confusion clouded her mind as she followed Chester to the Martial Arts League dungeon, where her father, Warren, had been imprisoned for several days.
"I need to speak with my father alone," she requested as they arrived.
Chester, understanding the importance of family matters, nodded and agreed. "Of course. Tomorrow, I will ensure your father is moved to a more comfortable location, away from the dungeon. He'll be sent back to the Flaherty family once the storm subsides."
With that, Chester dismissed the law enforcer guarding the dungeon and left, leaving Alexandra alone with her father.
Warren, clad in a prison uniform, appeared older and haggard. Upon seeing his daughter, he sighed, the guilt in his eyes evident. "I'm sorry, Alexandra. I've gotten you into trouble."
"Don't worry, Dad," Alexandra said, offering him a comforting smile. "Everything will be fine. General Loneliness spoke on our behalf, so you'll be out soon."
"General Loneliness?" Warren's surprise was palpable. He was clearly unfamiliar with the name in this context.
Alexandra quickly explained what Chester had told her about the general's intervention. But Warren's expression grew increasingly troubled as she spoke. He, too, had no memory of helping General Loneliness in the past.
"Warren, do you think it could be related to John?" Alexandra ventured, uncertain of her own words. She had heard rumors of John's involvement in the martial arts world, and if General Loneliness knew of the Flaherty family's ties to him, it might explain the general's help. But even then, she wasn't sure when John would have shared this information with the Oracle Palace.
A sudden realization hit her. If General Loneliness knew about John's connection to the Flaherty family, he likely wouldn't have used the family's help as an excuse to offer his protection. Rather, he would have openly recognized John's status as the King of Horizon, which meant that Loneliness was hiding something.
Her suspicion grew more intense, and she voiced a thought that had been creeping into her mind for some time. "Dad, I think Andrew might still be alive. He has to be plotting something."
The words left her mouth before she could stop them, and they took her by surprise. In the past, everyone had believed that King of Horizon had died, especially after the island incident and the subsequent rumors. But now, Alexandra couldn't shake the feeling that her grandfather's death had been staged for some greater purpose.
Warren visibly trembled at her words. For a moment, he turned away, trying to regain his composure. When he spoke again, his voice was filled with resignation.
"Alexandra, you should leave now. I'll be fine here."
"Dad, I don't want you to stay here," she protested, but Warren interrupted her.
"I deserve this," he said bitterly. "If my grandson is still alive, he doesn't need to pity me. All I've done has been wrong."
His guilt weighed heavily on him, and he seemed unwilling to leave his cell, as if remaining in isolation would somehow atone for his past mistakes.
Alexandra tried to say more, but Warren silenced her with a gesture. "Go. You don't need to worry about me. The Martial Arts League will not make things difficult for me anymore."
With a heavy heart, Alexandra reluctantly left the dungeon.
Once outside, she couldn't wait to reach out to Bertha, hoping to get more information about John. However, when she contacted Bertha, her old friend pretended ignorance, feigning innocence. "Teacher, I know nothing," Bertha claimed.
The more Alexandra thought about it, the more convinced she became that John was not dead. He had been hiding something, and she would find out what it was.
Her frustration boiled over. "That bastard! How could he hide this from me? That's so cruel!"
In truth, John hadn't intended to hide anything from her. He simply hadn't expected things to escalate so quickly with the Flaherty family. From his perspective, even if he appeared in Houston or the Martial Arts School, it wouldn't change anything for him. He had nothing to fear.
After all, it was the King of Horizon who had "died." What did it have to do with him, John?
4o mini