When they reached the pier, Leon, Lucia, and Livia saw that Lot Har had already disembarked and was conferring with his men. Out on the water, about fifty warships sat anchored, blanketing the sea in ink; every vessel was pitch black, their sails tightly furled.
"Brother Lot Har!" the triplets shouted.
Lot Har turned instantly. A wide grin broke across his face the moment he spotted them. He finished his conversation quickly and walked straight toward them. "Hug!" he barked, pulling all three into a crushing embrace. They squeezed him back just as hard.
"Finally, I've made it to you," Lot Har said warmly.
"L-let... let go," Leon, Lucia, and Livia gasped, practically choking from the force of the hug.
Lot Har released them immediately, beaming as he looked them over. "So... what's the situation?"
"Let's talk in the tent. But why so many ships? What's the total headcount on those vessels?" Leon asked.
"Hmm... about 10,000 men, spread across fifty warships from four demon tribes and one barbarian tribe. Some will head back to Al Nahar later; they were mostly just used as transports," Lot Har explained.
"Alright, don't have them disembark yet. Let us explain the state of things first," Leon said.
"Fine, let's not waste any more time," Lot Har replied.
They began walking toward the command tent on the outskirts of Hargar. As they walked, Leon, Lucia, and Livia caught sight of a figure passing them, draped in a hooded cloak. The three of them simply shared a smirk.
"Okay Leon, you win," Livia said.
"Yeah... you knew it from the start, didn't you," Lucia added.
"I figured as much. She's narrow-minded. Now, let her see our true strength for herself—she's heading for the harbor, hoping to escape by sea," Leon replied.
"What on earth are you three talking about?" Lot Har asked, puzzled.
"We'll explain later," Leon answered.
Once they passed through the gates, the camp was in a state of panic. Soldiers rushed up to report that Alesya had escaped. Leon calmly ordered them to shut the gates and search every corner of the city. Hearing Alesya's name, Lot Har began to wonder, but he didn't ask anything; he simply raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
Inside the tent, Leon introduced Lot Har to Cyrill, Calvin, and Casey. They caught him up on everything. As Lot Har listened, his jaw dropped lower and lower. After they finished the briefing, he looked at them in total disbelief.
"So... in just two days, you conquered Toreno using only a handful of makeshift soldiers? That is absolutely incredible... I am truly impressed," Lot Har said.
"That's why, Brother Lot Har, I want you to concentrate our army there and use Toreno Castle as our temporary headquarters," Leon said.
"Hmm... that makes sense. With Toreno in our hands and Mirriad cooperating... we can actually take back Nortrom," Lot Har murmured.
They then filled him in on the rest: the executions of Gerald and Meredith, the vanishing reports of the northern fog, and the true identities of Calvin, Casey, and Cyrill. They detailed their plan to march on Nortrom and invited Lot Har to join.
"This is... beyond anything I expected. Lord Gerald and Lady Meredith executed... and Calvin is the Emperor's son. In that case, you must centralize your power in Toreno and retake Nortrom fast. I'm willing to go with you to meet Lord Edgar," Lot Har said.
"Actually, we have no intention of meeting Lord Edgar. We're going to take Nortrom without using force," Leon countered.
"I see. So the Alesya you mentioned... that's really Alesya Clark?" Lot Har asked.
"Correct. We have Bruno Clark as well; he's currently in the Steelhold dungeons," Livia answered.
"You know our real goal in taking Nortrom, right? Beyond just using it as a starting point?" Lucia asked.
A faint smile appeared on Lot Har's lips. He stood up and affectionately ruffled the hair of all three siblings, leaving Cyrill, Calvin, and Casey in shock.
"Of course I know. I've been working toward this for nearly ten years, but you three just fast-tracked my entire job," Lot Har said.
"Now, we wait a moment. Cyrill... you've already sent your assassins to spread the word in the city and Nortrom Castle like I asked, right?" Leon asked.
"Naturally. They're already at work," Cyrill replied.
"What are we waiting for?" Casey asked.
"We're waiting for the guards to bring her back here," Livia answered.
"Wait... her?" Calvin asked, confused.
Lot Har sat back down, crossing his arms and closing his eyes to wait. The tent fell into a heavy silence. It didn't last long. With a sharp "sreeg," the curtain was pulled back. Dustin walked in, holding Alesya by the scruff of her neck and shoving her forward.
"Sorry to interrupt, but this one broke into the monastery intending to kill Lady Mariana. I brought her here because she was disturbing our prayers. My job is done," Dustin said with a wide grin.
"Let go of me... let go!" Alesya screamed.
"Thanks, Dustin. Please, take a seat, Alesya," Leon said calmly.
Dustin released her. She froze, seeing Lot Har sitting right there. She realized then that everything the triplets had said was true. Slowly, Alesya sat down next to Lot Har, who immediately rested his sword across her neck with a pleasant smile.
"Hello, Lady Alesya. I didn't expect to meet you like this," Lot Har said politely.
"General Lot Har," Alesya replied, nodding stiffly while eyeing the blade at her throat.
"So, did you get a look at our fleet?" Leon asked casually.
"Are... are you planning to attack Toreno with a navy that size?" Alesya asked.
The triplets burst into loud laughter. Lot Har smiled, and Cyrill joined in. Casey and Calvin managed polite chuckles.
"W-why are you laughing? You think you can take Steelhold with just those numbers?" Alesya demanded.
"Sorry, I forgot to mention: Toreno is already ours. Farport, Steelhold, and the Castle are all under our control," Leon answered.
"Exactly. Our soldiers are already living there. And Mirriad is officially with us. Oh, and don't forget House Levent too," Lucia added.
"So, where do you want to stand now, cousin?" Livia asked.
Alesya went dead silent. She stared at the faces of Leon, Lucia, and Livia—all looking relaxed, their sharp blue eyes smiling at her. She glanced at the map and turned pale seeing their detailed battle plans for Nortrom territory. She realized with chilling clarity that she had picked the wrong side.
"What about Bruno? Is he alive?" Alesya asked.
"He's in a cell at Steelhold. But... his life depends on you," Livia said.
"Hah... I don't care about him. Do whatever you want with him," Alesya snapped.
"Good. Cyrill, tell the men to message Hugo. Tell him to execute Bruno immediately and send his head back here," Leon ordered.
"On it," Cyrill replied.
"Wait... no! Don't! What do you want from me?" Alesya shouted, stopping Cyrill.
"You haven't given us an answer to our offer yet," Leon replied.
Alesya's mind raced. She glanced back and saw Dustin, built like a mountain, standing behind her with his arms crossed and a wide grin. She looked around the room, then at Lot Har's sword still resting against her neck. Finally, she looked back at the triplets.
"Fine. I'll take you to meet my father. But I want all my soldiers released and sent back to Nortrom," Alesya countered.
"Hmm... you think you're in a position to set terms? But fine, we can do that. We'll return everyone once you've brought us to Edgar," Livia said.
"But don't blame me if my father just kills you instead," Alesya warned.
"I don't think you quite understand us yet. We're taking you with us. And besides... you know we aren't interested in revenge. So, if your father tries to kill us, you'll have to be the one to kill him. Got it?" Lucia asked.
"Like she said, we aren't looking for revenge. So please, take our revenge for us instead—and in return, we will settle the score by setting both you and your soldiers free," Leon added.
"Now you understand, right? Why we're letting you go? We want you to choose: wipe away your family's sins and join us or stay loyal to a man who clearly doesn't care about you. Either way, the result is the same. We will take Nortrom one way or another, understand?" Livia asked.
The tent fell into a heavy silence. Cyrill turned to look at Livia, Calvin stared at Lucia, and Casey glanced at Leon. Even Lot Har looked at the three of them as if he were seeing them for the very first time. Only Dustin remained still, his smile never wavering, as if he had anticipated this all along.
Alesya sat frozen, her lips trembling. She was being backed into a corner, forced to choose between her own survival, the fate of her soldiers, her brother, or her father. There was no way out. She had already seen the sheer power of their army and fleet, the backing of Mirriad, and the maps on the table detailing a flawless tactical assault on Nortrom. She knew that even trying to fight back would be useless.