That night, in a strategy room within Nortrom Castle, Edgar sat at his desk with his two children and their assistants. Edgar's face was a mask of unreadable emotions—a look so haunting that his children couldn't help but trade a curious, unsettled glance.
"Why did you call me here, Papa?" asked a powerful young woman, her attire marking her as a knight.
"Yeah, I've come a long way from Toreno Castle. Out with it, old man. I've still got business at Steelhold Fortress," said a formidable man who carried the air of both a sea warrior and a commander. Steelhold was a bastion in the open ocean, guarding the waters of the Toreno region just off the coast of the port city, Farport.
"Hah... what business do you have at Steelhold, Bruno? Weren't you supposed to be at Toreno Castle?" the girl asked.
"My spies in the Black Continent say eight warships just left Al Nahar for Hargar. They're looking to seize the city, probably because they know House Levent is in ruins. That's why I need to get to Steelhold—to beef up our fleet. You just worry about guarding the Mirriad border, Alesya, my useless little sister," Bruno replied, shooting a cynical look her way.
"Care to say that again? If I were allowed on the water, I'd replace you in a heartbeat," Alesya snapped, her hand instinctively going to the hilt of her sword.
"Just tell me why I'm here, old man. I can't hang around all night," Bruno said impatiently.
"Just send him home, Papa. He's no use here," Alesya shot back.
"Hah... what was that?" Bruno turned sharply toward his sister.
"You're useless on land. Go back to the sea," Alesya replied curtly, a mocking smirk on her face.
"Enough! Both of you, shut up! You can never just get along. I called you here for a reason!" Edgar roared.
Bruno and Alesya went silent instantly. They turned to their father, waiting for whatever he had to say. Edgar didn't hold back; he described exactly what he had seen that afternoon over Hargar, the former seat of House Levent. Naturally, Bruno and Alesya were skeptical. It seemed impossible for lightning to strike one spot so repeatedly that it looked like a solid beam of light from the heavens. But Edgar didn't care about their doubt. He stared them down.
"Bruno, reinforce the fleet at Steelhold and move our soldiers into Farport. All of them," Edgar ordered.
"Hah... everyone to Farport? We're just going to abandon Toreno Castle? Are you serious, Papa?" Bruno replied, clearly annoyed.
"Delilah, the witch of House Barranger, gave a prophecy to the Council of Lords. She warned that a king and two queens would come from the Black Continent to take the throne. The sign of their arrival is lightning—and that is exactly what happened this afternoon. Do you understand now?" Edgar said, his gaze drilling into Bruno.
Stunned by his father's intensity, Bruno went quiet and simply nodded. Alesya caught his eye and flashed a triumphant smile, clearly relishing the moment.
"Alesya, take your battalion to the border between Nortrom and the Levent territory. Build a fortress there and lock down the border. We have to move fast and strike first. Don't give them a single chance to gather their strength," Edgar said.
"Understood, Papa. I'll head back to the Mirriad border tonight," Alesya replied.
"I'm counting on you both. I'll be guarding this castle with everything I have. You two," Edgar said, turning to the assistants behind his children, "get word to Lord Barranger, Lord Quintrell, and Lord Marlow in Castletown. Tell them the king and two queens from the prophecy have arrived. Go tonight."
"Yes, my lord," the assistants replied in unison.
"Alright. You're dismissed," Edgar said.
The assistants bowed and left the room. Bruno and Alesya remained for a second, looking at each other. They realized for the first time that their father didn't just look serious—he looked terrified. Without another word, they stood and left Edgar alone.
"They've come back... damn it," Edgar muttered to himself once the room was empty.
***
Meanwhile, inside the largest tent at the encampment—shielded by the newly raised stone cliffs of Hargar—Leon, Lucia, Livia, Lulu, Hugo, and Valen stood gathered around a table. A map of the entire Libelia continent was spread out before them as Hugo explain the terrain to all of them. Hugo pointed toward Farport in the Toreno region to the west, specifically singling out a sea fortress on the map.
"This is the Steelhold lighthouse, the heart of Toreno's strength. They have a fleet of 20 warships stationed here and about 2,000 soldiers," Hugo explained.
"Hmm... if they hit us by sea, defending this city is going to be a nightmare," Livia muttered.
"And over here, the border with the Nortrom region has its own garrison of about 1,000 men. If they bring in reinforcements and attack us from two sides, we're in trouble," Hugo added.
"Our main army should be here in two or three days. We just have to hold out until then," Lucia said.
"Right now, we have 1,200 demon troops and 300 barbarians, plus our eight warships. It seems like we should strike the Nortrom border before we head west to take Steelhold. What do you think, Lulu?" Leon asked.
"Hmm... the risk is high. If we commit everyone to the border, the city's defenses will be spread too thin," Lulu replied thoughtfully.
"Hey Hugo, you've got a crew of 300 bandits, don't you?" Valen asked.
Leon, Lucia, and Livia all turned to look at Hugo. Hugo sighed and gave Valen a light smack on the head, making him wince.
"Fine. I'll send word to call them in," Hugo said.
"Good. That's 300 more. Now, let's figure out how we hit them," Leon said.
Suddenly, the tent flap flew open. Everyone turned toward the entrance as Mariana stepped inside. She was pale, her body drenched in sweat, but her eyes were filled with absolute conviction.
"Everyone, I just had another vision. A war at sea. Our forces are wiped out by the troops guarding Farport because the entire Toreno army is concentrated there. The gods are warning us not to attack that way," Mariana gasped, struggling for breath.
The trio fell into deep thought. Hugo and Valen watched them closely.
"Hugo, you said you're a traveler from the west?" Lucia asked.
"That's right. I'm an explorer of the western lands," Hugo said with a smirk.
"Hah... you're a famous mountain bandit king from the west," Valen corrected.
"Could you please shut up?" Hugo snapped.
"Hmm... so that's the play," Livia noted.
"You said you have 300 men, right?" Lucia asked.
"Actually, I have 800 people total, but only 300 are fighters," Hugo clarified.
"Perfect. Mariana's vision says we lose at Farport because the entire army is there... so, send your 300 bandits to Toreno Castle instead. Have the other 500 occupy the palace city," Leon ordered.
"But what if they return to the castle?" Valen asked.
"We create a distraction. We'll send our eight warships to feign an attack on Steelhold," Livia answered.
"While they're focused on Farport, you slip into the castle and clear out everyone there. Take it and make it your base," Lucia added.
"We'll also send 300 demon troops to distract the Farport defenses, and the rest of us will hold the line here until our main forces arrived," Leon concluded.
Hugo, Valen, Lulu, and Mariana looked completely stunned. Hearing a plan that directly challenged a divine vision left them speechless. They stood there, the wheels clearly turning in their heads.
"Alright, I understand. I'll organize the troops immediately," Lulu said, breaking the silence.
"No, you stay here and hold the city. I'm going. The sea is my domain," Leon said, placing a hand on Lulu's shoulder.
"Wait... Your Majesty... I mean... Leon?" Lulu asked, looking at him as if he'd grown a second head.
"Wait, are you serious, Leon?" Hugo asked.
"Yes. If I'm with the fleet, they won't underestimate us. They'll have to take us seriously. I'm sure of it," Leon replied.
"That makes sense," Valen added.
"I'm going with you, Hugo. We leave tonight to pick up your men," Livia added.
"Wait, why?" Hugo asked.
"You need 300 men to take a castle. You'll need me for the ground assault. With me there, we'll take that castle with ease," Livia answered.
"What about me?" Valen asked.
"You're with me. I need your power," Livia replied.
"I'll be happy to help, Livia," Valen said, bowing respectfully.
"Lulu and I will protect the city. Right, Lulu? Get your archers ready," Lucia added.
"Understood, Lucia," Lulu replied.
"Fine, I get it. Let's go, Livia, Valen," Hugo said.
Without another word, Hugo, Livia, and Valen exited. Leon and Lulu followed, heading for the harbor, leaving Lucia and Mariana alone in the tent.
"Is this... is this okay? In my vision, we lose if we attack Toreno," Mariana whispered.
"It's fine. Trust me. Leon is a master of sea warfare, and Livia is a juggernaut on land. Just relax and have faith in them," Lucia replied.
"Are you... are you okay staying in this city alone?" Mariana asked.
"I have to be here. I specialize in aerial attacks, and the sky is everywhere. It's better if I'm here to hold the city," Lucia said casually.
"But the vision from the gods..."
"Listen, Mariana. The gods give you visions so we can prevent what's supposed to happen, not so we follow them blindly. As a Saint, you should know that. Otherwise, why would you go through the trouble of coming to the Black Continent to find us?" Lucia asked firmly.
Mariana went silent, staring at Lucia, who looked back with a calm but stern expression. Suddenly, the tent flap opened again. Three soldiers marched in, dragging a silver-haired man, a silver-haired woman, and a brown-haired man wearing goggles. Lucia and Mariana turned to look at them.
"Reporting, Your Majesty. There are three people who were trying to sneak into the city. We caught them loitering near our sentry posts," a soldier announced.