Mariana laid everything out for Eluisa. Eluisa's expression, which was cold from the start, grew darker and harder as she realized why Mariana had come to the village. "Brak!" Eluisa slammed her hand onto the table, making Leon, Lucia, and Livia turn in surprise while Isabel flinched.
"You want to take my three siblings to the central continent? Absolutely not. You know what happened to my family and why my uncle is hunting them. Don't you dare come into my house and suggest such a thing," Eluisa said, her voice trembling with rage.
"B-but I received a revelation from the gods," Mariana countered. "If they don't return, the Northern Wall will fall and the undead legions from hell will destroy us all. I made this journey to stop that from happening."
"I don't care! You won't take my family again. They are staying here!" Eluisa screamed until she was breathless, her voice booming through the room.
"Please, try to remain calm, ma'am," Isabel said, standing up and reaching out a hand while her other hand gripped the hilt of her sword.
"Calm? How am I supposed to be calm? Get out of my house! Or what? What are you going to do to me, huh?" Eluisa shouted, her eyes darting to Isabel's hand on the sword.
Isabel immediately let go and raised her hands. She glanced at Mariana, and Mariana looked at Leon, Lucia, and Livia standing nearby. The three of them gave Mariana a small nod before turning to Eluisa.
"Sister, can we talk for a moment? Privately?" Leon asked.
"There's something the three of us need to tell you," Lucia added.
"Please, just listen to us, Sis," Livia pleaded.
Eluisa saw the serious looks on her siblings' faces. She stood up and signaled for them to follow her into the back of the house. Leon paused to look at Mariana.
"You two wait here," Leon said.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Mariana replied.
"I told you, don't call me that," Leon snapped.
"S-sorry," Mariana stammered.
The triplets followed Eluisa into the master bedroom. They found her sitting on the edge of the bed looking utterly heartbroken. After closing the door, they approached her.
"Um... Big Sister," Leon began.
"I know what you're going to say. In the end, I'll have to let you go," Eluisa said in a faint whisper.
"It's not just that, Sis. I want to tell you..."
"About the fact that you're actually the kings and queens from a thousand years ago?" Eluisa interrupted.
Leon, Lucia, and Livia froze. They stared at each other in total shock; they had no idea their sister already knew their true identities.
"Sister... you knew?" Livia asked.
"Yes. I've heard you talking. I've seen you practicing combat without anyone teaching you, and I've seen your powers. They aren't normal. I've known for a long time, and I've been trying to accept that you really are who the prophecy said you were," Eluisa replied. She looked at them and smiled, even as tears streamed down her face.
"The prophecy?" Leon asked.
"Our ancestors were among the three founders of the Esvana faith. The gods gave them a revelation that the world would be in danger, and that triplets would be born into one of the founding families exactly a thousand years after the Vanadias Empire was established. That prophecy has been passed down through our family for generations. That's why we fled to the Black Continent. Our parents were murdered by our uncle because he was working with the Imperial family. They were terrified you three would take their throne, so they targeted you," Eluisa explained, finally sharing everything.
Leon, Lucia, and Livia sat cross-legged on the floor in front of her. They took her hands, realizing just how much Eluisa had sacrificed to protect them and how she had suffered because of their uncle's cruelty.
"I'm sorry I got angry just now. I just didn't want you going back to Libelia because of that woman's visions. I have no family left but you three," Eluisa whispered.
"I understand, Sis. But if we stay here, the undead will overrun the world and eventually destroy us too," Leon said.
"He's right, Sis. Leon, Livia, and I have to go. Not just to save the world, but to save our own lives. I don't want anything to happen to you," Lucia added.
"That's why we need you to trust us. We aren't fighting because of destiny; we're fighting to keep the peace we have here," Livia said.
Then, Leon, Lucia, and Livia stood up. They summoned their weapons, and a brilliant light filled the room, forcing Eluisa to shield her eyes for a moment. When the light faded, she saw Leon holding the trident of Cronus, Lucia holding the greatsword of Soranus, and Livia holding the twin axes of Terranus.
"We really are the reincarnations of the rulers from a thousand years ago. We remember our past lives," Leon said.
"To us, that war feels like it was just yesterday. We closed our eyes a thousand years ago and woke up in this life as triplets," Lucia explained.
"Please believe in us. we promise we'll come back to you," Livia said.
Eluisa sat there, stunned and unable to speak, but her expression softened. She realized she couldn't stop her siblings' fate. She smiled, stood up, and pulled them into a tight hug as their weapons vanished.
"Alright. But you have to promise to come back. I'll be waiting for you right here," Eluisa said.
"We promise, Sis," they replied together.
Eluisa sobbed loudly, and Lucia and Livia also shed tears. The four of them stayed in that embrace until a sudden commotion erupted outside. They broke apart and ran out of the room. They found Mariana and Isabel staring out the window. Leon, Lucia, Livia, and Eluisa joined them, their eyes widening at the sight of thirty to fifty armored soldiers forming ranks in front of the village. Their leader, a knight in full plate armor on a horse, was barking out orders.
"Vanadias Imperial soldiers," Mariana whispered.
"They actually followed us all the way here," Isabel added, bracing herself.
Mariana grabbed Eluisa's hands, startling her. "I am so sorry. We didn't mean to bring this chaos to you. Isabel and I will surrender so they don't hurt the villagers."
"Stay calm. Don't do anything reckless. My husband and the chief can handle this," Eluisa said.
Eluisa looked at Leon, Lucia, and Livia. She gave them a small nod and a smile. The three of them nodded back and turned toward the door.
"Ten men each?" Leon asked.
"Haha... you bet," Lucia answered.
"Okay. As soon as they attack, we'll hit them from the flank," Livia said.
"Yeah, that's the plan," Leon agreed.
The three of them got ready, slipped out of the house, and immediately leaped onto the roof to watch the front of the village, ready to jump in if things went sideways.