Twelve years passed. In the backyard, "trak," Leon lunged at Lucia with a wooden pole like a spear, which Lucia instantly parried with a massive wooden sword. Both were smiling. Leon had grown into a handsome and sturdy young man, while Lucia had become a beautiful girl with long hair. Suddenly, "traak," Livia separated the two with her twin wooden axes, a smile on her face. She looked beautiful and strikingly similar to Lucia, though her figure was noticeably curvier.
"Trak." "Trak."
The three fought simultaneously, trading blows and blocking attacks in a free-for-all, laughing as if they were just having fun. A fully grown Eluisa watched from the window, slightly stunned. Their combat was extraordinary, sending out shockwaves of wind with every collision. She smiled, watching her three younger siblings' progress. Helen, looking older now, watched them with her arms crossed. She seemed tense, though she didn't flinch when the gusts of wind hit her.
Suddenly, "bum," a handsome man with a light beard and long hair tied back, appearing to be about thirty one or two years old, landed right between them. He spun around with his sword, forcing the three to parry with their weapons. They were pushed back by the force.
"Brother Lot Har!" Leon, Lucia, and Livia shouted.
"Hello, I'm home," Lot Har replied, smiling at the three of them.
Seeing Lot Har standing among them, the three lowered their weapons. Eluisa threw open the door and ran out. "Buk," she jumped into Lot Har's arms, and they shared a kiss.
"You're home, my husband," Eluisa said with a smile.
"I'm back. Sorry I was gone so long," Lot Har replied.
"Ehem."
Eluisa and Lot Har turned to see Leon, Lucia, and Livia staring at them while pointedly looking away. Lot Har immediately released Eluisa and walked toward the three, pulling them into a tight group hug all at once.
"Whoaaah!" Leon, Lucia, and Livia groaned.
"I missed you guys too," Lot Har said cheerfully.
"Yeah, yeah... let go," Leon grunted.
"Ugh... I can't breathe," Lucia added.
Livia didn't say anything, but the look on her face made it crystal clear that she was feeling crushed and miserable. After the warm welcome, they all headed back inside. Helen bowed immediately to greet Lot Har, and he returned the gesture with a nod. They all gathered around the dining table, where Lot Har began recounting his travels across the sea.
He had been working as a mercenary, defending the territory of Mirriad in the great southern region of Seriyan, which was locked in a border dispute with the neighboring territory of Toreno. Lot Har noticed Eluisa looking down at the table, a sad expression on her face. He reached out and took her hand.
"I happened to pass through the Nortom region and met your uncle. Don't worry, I didn't tell him you were here," Lot Har said.
"I see. Thank you," Eluisa replied.
"The situation on the continent of Libelia is a total mess. Center Vanadias, where the capital of the Vanadias Empire is located, doesn't care about what happens in the other four major regions. They're all fighting internally. And then, I heard some rumors," Lot Har said seriously.
"What rumors?" Eluisa asked.
"Undead forces have been spotted beyond the Northern Wall. Though no one has confirmed it yet, House Rochele—the ones living in Arlington where the wall stands as guardians—hasn't given the kingdom any clear information," Lot Har answered.
Hearing Lot Har's words, "brak," Leon, Lucia, and Livia suddenly stood up. Their faces had turned deathly pale. Lot Har, Eluisa, and Helen stared at them in confusion.
"What is it?" Lot Har asked, looking at each of them.
"I-it's nothing," Leon said, sitting back down.
"Yeah, that's right. Nothing," Lucia added, also sitting down.
"D-don't mind us, it's fine," Livia chimed in, sitting down and waving her hand dismissively.
"Alright then, let me continue," Lot Har said.
Lot Har then mentioned another rumor spreading among the noble leaders and regional lords. Emperor Barington Vanadias was suspected to be gravely ill because he hadn't appeared in public for the past year and a half. This had sparked constant territorial disputes, as every regional ruler wanted to replace the heirless Emperor Barington and lead all of Estoria.
"Hmm, so that's how it is over there," Helen mused.
"Combined with the undead moving in the north, the world has truly descended into chaos. A massive regional war could break out at any moment," Lot Har added.
"As the mercenary leader, do you have to leave again, honey?" Eluisa asked.
"No. For now, I've turned down the offers from those nobles. The situation there is too unstable, and it's better for those of us on the Black Continent not to get involved for our own sake... even if there are tribal wars here, it's nothing compared to Libelia," Lot Har replied.
"But if a major war happens and the undead break through to the central continent, wouldn't we be in danger here too?" Eluisa asked.
"Yes. Besides the uncertainty, I refused because I want to build up our defenses on the Black Continent. I want to unite the tribes here into one," Lot Har explained.
"Alright, I understand. I'll support you," Eluisa said, squeezing Lot Har's hand.
"Thank you, my wife. Now, I need to go out for a moment to meet the village head and the new tribal chief, Kal Thor, to report everything. I also want to discuss recruiting other tribes," Lot Har replied.
"Okay. Do I need to come along?" Eluisa asked.
"It would be best if you did," Lot Har answered.
"Alright, let's go, husband," Eluisa said, standing up.
"I'll escort you both. [She looked at Leon, Lucia, and Livia] You three please watch the house," Helen said as she stood.
"Understood," Leon, Lucia, and Livia replied in unison.
After Lot Har, Eluisa, and Helen left and the door closed, the three sat back down at the table.
"Okay, I don't care about territorial disputes, but if the undead are moving and the regions are still fighting each other, we're in big trouble," Livia said.
"True. They have no idea how terrifying the undead are. Even with our own kingdoms back then, we struggled to push them back. That's why we agreed to build the wall and limit their movement," Leon replied.
"That's true. It was our fault for fighting each other when we were kings and queens 1,000 years ago," Lucia muttered, looking down.
"Hey, don't say 'us.' You were the one who betrayed me and teamed up with Anabelle... ah, sorry, Livia," Leon countered.
"Enough, enough. What happened 1,000 years ago was a mistake made by all three of us. Let's not dwell on it. What matters is, what do we do now?" Livia asked.
"And here I was, wanting to live a quiet and peaceful life in this lifetime," Leon replied.
"Same. These last eighteen years have been truly happy," Lucia added.
"But the reality is the undead are moving again... even though we locked them in the northern mountains back then. As long as they are on the move, we can't have peace because of our past sins," Livia said.
The three fell silent. The house became quiet as they all stared down at the table, regretting that they had led their kingdoms into war against each other after sealing the undead away. While they were lost in thought, suddenly, "knock... knock... knock," there was a knock at the door. Leon, Lucia, and Livia looked at each other.
"Did they come home already?" Leon asked.
"Even if they did, they wouldn't knock, right?" Lucia replied.
"Who could it be?" Livia wondered.
The knocking sounded again. The three stood up and walked to the door. Leon opened it, and all three were stunned to see a beautiful young blonde girl. She was dressed like a nun in all-white garments, including a loose hood. Behind her stood a female knight in full armor, clearly from the Empire. Both girls looked bedraggled and injured.
The girl in white was frozen as she looked at Leon, Lucia, and Livia. Her eyes scanned their faces. Her lips began to tremble and her eyes widened. Then, she immediately dropped to one knee before them, followed by the female knight.
"Greetings, Your Majesties, King and Queen," she said.
"Huh?" Leon, Lucia, and Livia were instantly shocked—because they were, in fact, kings and queens, but from 1,000 years ago.