Leon, Lucia, and Livia waited patiently to see what Alesya would do. She had already proposed leading them to Nortrom Castle—a fortress north of the city, standing entirely apart from it—under a deal that was now final.
Alesya raised her head to look at the triplets. Their expressions remained unchanged, even as the mood in the room shifted. After weighing everything she had been through in her life, she finally looked down. Her hand reached up and slowly pushed Lot Har's blade away from her throat.
"Fine, I understand. I'm not willing to die for an old man or that fool who calls himself my brother. But... do you actually trust me?" Alesya asked.
"Of course not. That's why Brother Lot Har is here," Livia said bluntly.
"Ah... I see what you're getting at," Lot Har replied.
"Do whatever you want. I can't do anything about it anyway. But I'm asking you to honor your end of the bargain. When I take you there—and if it comes down to me having to kill my own father—I need you to keep your word and release my men," Alesya said.
"Don't worry about that. We will keep our promise. Now, please go back to your tent and get some rest... Dustin, please escort her," Leon said.
"With pleasure, Your Highness," Dustin replied.
Without delay, Dustin led Alesya out. She walked with a limpness in her step and slumped shoulders, guarded by the massive man. Once they were gone, the tent fell silent again. Lot Har sheathed his sword, and Cyrill turned to look at Leon, Lucia, and Livia.
"Um... you do know that Lord Edgar isn't even at Nortrom Castle, right?" Cyrill asked.
"Yes... that's why we're bringing her. To walk right in without a fight," Leon answered.
"Oh... so that's your plan. I actually thought you were serious about making her kill her own father. Even with your grudge against Edgar Clark, that would have been a bit much. Even Eluisa wouldn't have approved of that," Lot Har said, looking visibly relieved.
Then, Lot Har noticed that the three of them remained silent. They didn't offer a rebuttal; they only shared a cryptic smile.
"Hey... you aren't actually considering it, are you? That was just a test, right?" Lot Har asked, searching their faces.
Hearing Lot Har's question, Cyrill, Casey, and Calvin all turned toward the triplets as well. They waited for an answer that still hung heavy in the air. Instead of answering, Leon turned and kissed Casey's forehead. Lucia kissed Calvin's cheek, and Livia did the same to Cyrill, offering nothing but silence in response.
"Alright. Now, I'm going with Brother Lot Har and the troops to Farport immediately. Casey, you're with me. Livia and Cyrill, you're coming too, and then you'll head to Toreno Castle. Lucia, you stay here with Dustin to keep an eye on Alesya in her tent," Leon commanded.
"Hey... why are we suddenly changing the subject?" Lot Har asked.
"We'll be back tomorrow. In two days, we release the Nortrom troops, and the day after that, we head there with Alesya," Livia replied.
"Got it. I'll stay here with Calvin for now and get everything ready," Lucia answered.
"Sorry, Lucia. Since you're the one who conquered the Nortrom soldiers, it's best if you're the face they see here. We'll all head to Nortrom together later," Leon said.
"No problem. I like this city anyway," Lucia replied with a smile.
"Alright then. Let's go, Brother Lot Har. We're heading to Farport with everyone," Leon said, standing up and walking behind Casey's wheelchair.
"Come on, Cyrill. We're leaving too," Livia added, standing up and pulling Cyrill to his feet.
"You three... honestly. Fine, let's get moving," Lot Har said, finally standing up.
But just as they were about to step through the tent flap, "sreeg," the curtain swung open. Mariana stood there, breathless and pale, with Isabel right behind her.
"D-don't leave yet... I've had an important vision," Mariana stammered, her words tripping over each other.
"Try to slow down and tell us," Leon said.
Mariana described seeing knights and their armies in the west, Holy Knights in the east, and the Wall Guards in the north—all concentrating their forces at Castletown. They were launching a straight-line assault through Nortrom territory, then fanning out to attack Toreno and Mirriad simultaneously. It was a pincer movement designed to crush them from two directions. Additionally, a naval fleet from the west would strike Toreno. The vision showed massive casualties and the total destruction of the entire Seriyan region. Everyone would be killed, and the triplets would be captured and executed in Castletown.
"Hmm... I see. Now we know exactly why Edgar went to Castletown, based on Mariana's vision," Leon said.
"Then we can't afford to wait anymore," Lucia said.
"Yeah, we have to get to Nortrom today," Livia added.
"Let's move, right now. Round up all the Nortrom prisoners immediately. Brother Lot Har, please head to Farport with Mariana, Isabel, Casey, Cyrill, and Calvin. We're leaving everything in your hands," Leon said.
"Wait... so you're saying just the three of you are going to escort the Nortrom army back to their territory?" Cyrill asked.
"Exactly. Tell Dustin to bring Alesya there once we've set out via a different route. Prepare five hundred soldiers for the three of us," Lucia ordered.
"Come on, we have to be fast. We don't know when Mariana's vision will come true. Send word to Lord Malcolm and Lord Patrick to stay on high alert," Livia said.
"Fine, I trust you. Everyone, let's move—it's time to get to work," Lot Har said.
"Please, be careful, Leon," Casey said.
"I will. Wait for me to come back. Oh, and take Noah and Esme with you," Leon replied, kissing Casey's forehead.
"Alright, I'll bring them along," Casey promised.
"I'm off," Lucia said, kissing Calvin's lips.
"Yeah, stay safe and come back quickly. I'll always be waiting for you," Calvin replied.
"Wait for me in Farport, I'll be back as soon as possible," Livia said, kissing Cyrill's lips.
"Alright, stay safe, Livia," Cyrill replied.
"Count on it," Livia answered with a smile.
They all scrambled out of the tent and immediately got to work. Lot Har joined Leon, Lucia, and Livia to prep the troops that would be leaving with them. Cyrill let out a sharp whistle, and two assassins appeared before him; he ordered them to accelerate their operations and gather the townspeople in the square for when the triplets arrived with the Nortrom army. Calvin relayed the instructions to Dustin, then sat down to pen urgent letters to Malcolm and Patrick. Meanwhile, Mariana, Isabel, Casey, Noah, and Esme made their way toward the harbor to direct the forces heading to Steelhold and Farport.
***
Meanwhile, inside the Vanadias Imperial Palace in Castletown, Edgar sat with Jasper, Fabian, and Geoffrey around a table in the throne room; the throne itself remained empty. Edgar finished recounting everything that had transpired, leaving Jasper, Fabian, and Geoffrey wide-eyed.
"So... the Reinald triplets have returned? They escaped?" Jasper asked in shock.
"Yes. And now both of my children have been captured. I don't give a damn about my kids; I'm more worried they'll defect and turn against me," Edgar answered.
"They took Toreno, and now Malcolm is working with them. What was Jourell doing? Why is that stubborn man still breathing? What a useless human being, especially after I paid him so much," Fabian muttered.
"Forget it. The priority now is to handle this immediately. We need to pool our strength. Let's start discussing our strategy to retake Toreno," Geoffrey replied.
The four of them continued their council, debating how to strike Toreno, seize back control, and finally kill the three people they had feared since their birth eighteen years ago. But as they put their heads together, a voice suddenly cut through the air.
"Stop. Let them have the south."
All heads turned toward a woman draped in a purple dress that flowed like mist. She approached them carrying a crystal ball, her face hidden behind a veil that obscured her features.
"What do you mean, give them the south, Delilah?" Geoffrey demanded, his voice echoing through the room.
"If we commit everything to an assault on Toreno and Mirriad, we will lose—and they will take all of Libelia. Look at what I have to show you," Delilah said.
Delilah placed her crystal ball on the table. The four lords immediately leaned in to stare at the glass, which flickered with horrifying images. It showed a battle of mythical proportions: swirling maelstroms, savage attacks by deep-sea creatures, bolts of lightning tearing through the sky, and angels descending from above. Mountains shifted into the shapes of giants as the earth shattered from massive earthquakes.
In the final moments of the vision, three weapons appeared with terrifying clarity, and the entire army was wiped out.
"This... this is what happens if we attack Toreno?" Jasper asked, his voice shaking.
"It's hard to believe," Fabian added, looking completely stunned by what he had just seen.
"Exactly. So... let the southern territories or Seriyan go for now. we will take them back another time," Delilah answered, casting a side-glance at Edgar.
Hearing that, Edgar slumped back into his seat and went completely still. What he had seen in the crystal ball left him utterly speechless, even though his face was a mask of bitter resentment and rage. The other lords were just as stunned; they couldn't find the words to describe what had been revealed in the crystal ball. One by one, they sank into their chairs and sat there in a heavy, hollow silence.