Before Alesya could even react, Leon, Lucia, and Livia summoned their legendary weapons. They pulled up chairs and sat directly in front of her, staring at her with sharp, piercing eyes despite the smiles on their faces. Alesya, already broken and seeing their weapons drawn and ready for action, simply lowered her head in total surrender.
"Fine... just kill me," Alesya muttered.
"Relax, big cousin. The three of us have no intention of killing you," Lucia said.
"That's right. In fact, we're actually here to offer you a deal," Livia added.
"Wait, what?" Alesya asked, stunned.
"But before we start talking... guard!" Leon shouted.
Two guards entered—one a Nortrom soldier and the other a demon warrior. As they stood behind the triplets, the Nortrom soldier caught a glimpse of his commander's haggard state and quickly looked away, unable to meet her eyes.
"Untie her and bring a feast in here," Leon said with a smile.
The two guards were so shocked they looked at each other to make sure they hadn't misheard. Livia glanced back at them.
"Did you not hear him?" Livia asked, her gaze fixing on the guards.
"Y-yes, Your Highness!" they stammered, immediately snapping to attention.
They moved at once; one stepped forward to cut the ropes binding Alesya's hands while the other bolted out of the tent to fetch the food. Once freed, Alesya immediately clutched her wrists, her face a mask of utter confusion. She looked up at the triplets.
"Why are you letting me go?" Alesya asked.
"Huh... did we say we were letting you go?" Lucia asked with a sharp stare.
Alesya fell silent again and looked down. The three of them leaned forward simultaneously, locking their blue eyes onto her.
"What we said was, we want to give you an offer," Livia stated.
"But only after you eat. You haven't eaten since yesterday, right? We'll talk after that, but don't even think about trying to escape," Leon said, lightly tapping her shoulder with the shaft of his blue trident.
Alesya remained silent. She just kept her head down and nodded slowly without a word. Moments later, the guard returned with two others, carrying a massive amount of food and placing it right in front of her.
"Go ahead. Don't be shy," Livia said.
Without a second's delay, Alesya—driven by a hollow stomach and the savory aroma—began to eat ravenously. Meanwhile, Leon, Lucia, and Livia intentionally discussed their plans amongst themselves, acting as if Alesya wasn't even there. They kept their weapons out, a silent warning for her to just eat and not try anything foolish. They did this by design, making sure she overheard every word as her strength returned.
Overhearing their conversation, Alesya paused and looked at them while she ate. "Are you... are you planning to release me and my soldiers so we can go home?" she asked.
"Oh, so you were listening," Lucia noted.
"Yep. Like you heard, that is the plan, but there are conditions," Livia countered.
"Conditions?" Alesya asked.
"Yes. Want to hear them?" Lucia asked.
Alesya bit into a roasted chicken leg and chewed, nodding her head as her curiosity got the better of her.
"Okay. Condition number one: we will release you to go back to Nortrom through the Mirriad border, but the three of us are coming with you," Leon said.
"What? You're... you're coming along? You want to take over Nortrom?" Alesya asked.
"No, we just want to meet our uncle. That's allowed, isn't it? We are family, after all," Livia replied.
"W-what? But my father... he wants to kill you," Alesya stammered.
"That's exactly why we need you there," Lucia shot back.
Alesya fell into thought, clearly running through several scenarios in her head. Without giving an answer yet, she moved on to the next point.
"And the second condition?" she asked.
"Let us bring along the commander of the mercenary force from the Black Continent. You know him, right? He knows your father. I want him to act as a mediator between us and your dad," Leon explained.
"Wait... do you mean... General Lot Har?" Alesya asked, stunned.
"Exactly. We don't want any more revenge. That's the bottom line," Lucia answered.
"I... I see," Alesya replied, her mind working overtime.
"Condition three: give us a tour the city of Nortrom. That city is almost as big as Castletown, isn't it?" Livia added.
"What? Me? You want me, personally, to be your guide?" Alesya asked, completely caught off guard.
"Of course. It's much better to be shown around by a cousin, right? Besides, we don't know the area at all," Leon answered.
Alesya went silent, staring at the faces of Leon, Lucia, and Livia. Their expressions remained unchanged—still smiling, weapons still in hand. She was utterly baffled by what these three were really up to.
"Condition four: don't try anything funny. It's better for you to cooperate with us," Livia added. "Our goal isn't just to rule Libelia—it's to fight the evil coming from the North."
"So... you really want peace? You aren't holding onto old grudges? Does that kind of thing even exist?" Alesya asked.
"It seems you've forgotten what I said yesterday. I don't want to waste time on revenge and petty squabbles. The enemy is already at our doorstep; the northern wall could be breached at any moment. Please, don't be so narrow-minded. It's insulting," Lucia said, sounding annoyed.
"Alright. I understand," Alesya replied.
Suddenly, the three of them stood up, making Alesya flinch. They stowed their weapons and looked down at her.
"You'll stay here for now. We won't tie you up, but since you're still technically a prisoner, we can't just let you roam free. I hope you understand," Leon said.
"Fine... I get it," Alesya replied while she continued to eat.
Without waiting any longer, the three turned and walked out of the tent, leaving Alesya to stare after them in confusion, her mind racing to figure out their true motives. As they walked back toward the command tent, Livia turned to Leon.
"When do you think she'll make a run for it?"
"How about a bet? I say tonight," Lucia chimed in.
"Hmm... interesting. I think she'll try to recruit her former soldiers first... she'll probably be gone by tomorrow," Livia countered.
"No... I think it'll be sooner than that. Just let her play out whatever scenarios she's dreaming up; we've told her the truth. The point is, whenever she runs, the result will be the same. She isn't getting out of this city," Leon said.
"And when she tries, we'll find out where her loyalty truly lies—with her father, or with us," Lucia added.
"In the old days, we would have just executed a prisoner, wouldn't we? We really have changed," Livia remarked.
Suddenly, Leon pulled both of his younger sisters into a side-hug as they walked, catching them by surprise.
"Things are different now. You get that, right?" Leon said.
"Hehe... you're right, brother," Lucia and Livia replied with a smile, wrapping their arms around Leon's waist.
Suddenly, a soldier approached them, looking slightly startled to see Leon hugging Lucia and Livia so familiarly.
"Reporting, Your Highnesses! Commander Lot Har has arrived at the docks," the soldier announced.
"Alright, let's head to the harbor," Leon said.
"Yep, let's go," Lucia and Livia replied.
They hurried toward the harbor, unaware—or perhaps fully aware—that a newly freed Alesya was peeking through the tent flap, watching them as they walked away.