A few hours later, in the deep silence between midnight and dawn, at the camp positioned behind the cliffs directly in front of Hargar, a tent flap opened with a sharp "rustle." A soldier entered, supporting a demon tribe warrior who was visibly spent, his breath coming in ragged, desperate gasps.
Lucia, Theo, Gwen, Lulu, Calvin, and a young man whose name was still unknown were in the middle of a strategy meeting. They all turned as the messenger stumbled in. Seeing his battered state, they immediately stood up and rushed to his side.
"What is it?" Lucia asked.
"Re... report, Your Majesty," the soldier panted. "Steelhold Fortress and the city of Farport have fallen to King Leon. Toreno Castle is now under the control of Queen Livia, and Mirriad has joined us. They've closed the borders to Nortrom and House Levent. King Leon sent me to tell you because he said you would know exactly what to do. I rode at full speed and ran the rest of the way to reach you."
Theo, Gwen, Lulu, and Calvin immediately looked jubilant, but Lucia's face remained grave, her mind clearly working through the possibilities. Finally, she turned to the foreign young man standing beside her.
"Lord Patrick Levent, get five hundred of your men ready," Lucia ordered.
"Understood, Your Majesty, but for what purpose?" Patrick asked.
"We attack the enemy camp right now. It is time we drive them out," Lucia answered.
Hearing Lucia's words, Theo and the others were shocked to the core. Lucia turned her gaze toward them.
"Theo, Gwen, Lulu—prepare all our forces. We move out this second to crush them and kick them off our land. Move!"
"Wait... now? What if their reinforcements arrive?" Lulu asked.
"Mirriad is with us, which means the Nortrom border is locked tight. We crush them while they're still in the dark. We leave now—no more delays," Lucia answered.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Theo, Gwen, and Lulu replied in unison.
The three of them sprinted out of the tent. Patrick gave a quick bow and followed. Lucia turned back to the exhausted messenger and the soldier assisting him, both of whom looked stunned by her speed.
"Rest here. You must be drained after running all that way," Lucia said kindly.
"Y-yes, Your Majesty. Thank you," the messenger replied.
"Be careful, Lucia," Calvin said.
Lucia turned and smiled. She walked over to him and they shared a kiss. She reached up to cup his cheek for a heartbeat before letting go.
"Wait for me to come back. Guard our fortress with Mariana and Isabel," Lucia said.
"I will. I'll be waiting for you right here," Calvin promised.
Lucia turned and strode out. At the gate, she mounted the horse that was always kept ready for her. She glanced back to see her commanders at work: Theo was assembling the cavalry, Lulu was gathering the archers, and Gwen was lining up the infantry. Within forty-five minutes, the entire army was lined up behind Lucia.
"Let's move! We drive the enemy from our soil! Attack... for Soranus!" Lucia cried out.
"For Soranus!" the army roared back.
Without delay, Lucia spurred her horse toward the enemy camp on the border of Mirriad. Patrick's forces took a detour through the woods to strike from the flank. Lucia stretched out her hands, her greatsword materialized in her grip, and she let out a wide, fierce smile.
***
Meanwhile, at the Nortrom camp, a soldier burst into the main tent where Alesya was huddled over maps.
"Lady Alesya! The enemy is attacking!"
"What? They're raiding us in the middle of the night?" Alesya asked, completely blindsided.
They bolted outside to see clouds of dust rising. Heavy black clouds had swallowed the stars.
"Ready the troops! Wake everyone up! Move, move, move!" she screamed in a panic.
Suddenly—BOOM! A storm of lightning struck the entire camp. Tents ignited instantly. Soldiers came pouring out in total chaos—some with blades but no armor, others in full gear but empty-handed. As the lightning continued to rain down, Alesya grabbed her telescope. Her eyes widened as she saw the "Lightning Girl" single-handedly tearing through her ranks, charging forward with a massive sword and a grin.
"Damn it... retreat! Fall back to the border, now!" Alesya screamed.
Suddenly—CRASH! Alesya spun around to see a cavalry unit slamming into her flank. Judging by their colors, they were from House Levent. Realizing she was powerless, she bolted toward the border as her army fell apart in a frantic retreat. The Hargar force poured into the camp, leveling everything.
"Capture those who surrender! Kill those who fight! Chase them to the border!" Lucia shouted.
The raid was over quickly as many chose surrender over death. Lucia kept her horse at a full gallop. By the time they reached the border, only five hundred men remained with Alesya and her commanders. But the gate was locked tight. Guards in the towers had their arrows leveled at them.
"W-what is this? How can this be?" Alesya stammered.
She turned to see Lucia's group closing in from behind. Suddenly, the border doors groaned open. Alesya turned, her face going deathly pale at the sight of the Mirriad soldiers waiting on the other side. She knew she wouldn't live to see another sunrise.
"Surrender! There is no way out," Lucia shouted. "Those who surrender will live! Drop your weapons!"
Clang... clang. The soldiers threw their swords to the ground. The three commanders tossed their weapons aside and raised their hands.
"Take them all into custody," Lucia commanded.
As the soldiers rounded up the prisoners, Theo, Gwen, and Lulu glanced at Lucia. They finally understood her true intention.
"So that was the plan," Theo muttered.
"Yeah, Her Majesty is recruiting soldiers for us," Gwen added.
"That's right. With a surprise attack like this, there's no need for a bloodbath," Lulu agreed.
"Hey... I can hear all of you. I'm glad you finally caught on. After this, we're going to conquer Nortrom, so we'll need plenty of men," Lucia said suddenly.
"Wow," Theo, Gwen, and Lulu whispered in unison.
"What did you say? There's no way you can conquer Nortrom," Alesya screamed.
Lucia looked down. She saw Alesya being captured and brought before her. Lucia stared at her until Alesya flinched.
"And who are you?" Lucia asked casually.
"I am the daughter of Edgar Clark. My name is Alesya Clark," she answered.
"A Clark, huh? So you're my cousin," Lucia said, dismounting and walking toward Alesya with a cold smile.
"C-cousin? Who are you, really? You dress like a barbarian, but you're Libelian," Alesya said.
"Exactly. My name is Lucia Reinald. Ring a bell?" Lucia asked, resting her greatsword on her shoulder.
Alesya's face went white at the name Reinald. Her eyes went wide as she studied Lucia's face.
"Y-you're a child of House Reinald? How old are you?"
"Eighteen. I'm one of the triplets you tried to kill eighteen years ago," Lucia answered with effortless authority.
"P-please forgive me! I didn't know... I was only twelve at the time... please don't kill me," Alesya begged.
Lucia studied Alesya's terrified face, tilting her head in confusion. Then, she asked,
"Do you really think I want revenge on you just because your name is Clark, or that I'm taking Nortrom because it belongs to my family?"
"What other reason could you possibly have?" Alesya replied.
"Hahahahaha!" Lucia burst into a loud laugh that left everyone confused.
"Blam!" Suddenly, Lucia slammed her sword into the ground, sending sparks of electricity through the soil. She grabbed Alesya by her clothes and pulled her close. The laughter vanished, replaced by a piercing blue stare.
"Let me tell you something. My goal isn't because of some birthright or petty revenge. My goal is to use Nortrom—the largest territory in the south—as a base to conquer all of Libelia. I don't care about the small things you worry about, like borders or family feuds. In my mind, there is only one thing: destroying the evil in the north, roots and all. My siblings and I don't have a narrow mind like yours. So don't insult me by saying I came here for revenge against you and House Clark. To us, your heads aren't worth the effort," Lucia said, her voice deep and final.
Lucia released her grip on Alesya, who had gone completely silent, and shoved her back. She looked at the two soldiers holding her.
"Take her. She'll be useful for the assault on Nortrom later," Lucia said.
"Yes, Your Majesty," the soldiers replied.
The guards dragged away a stunned Alesya. Behind Lucia, Theo and the others watched her with a mix of admiration, respect, and a hint of fear.
"I'm just glad I'm on the right side. Thank God for Gwen and Casey's vision," Theo thought to himself.
"Thank goodness for that vision; I definitely picked the right side," Gwen and Lulu thought.