After that, the three of them looked back at the two galleon-type ships on the open sea, waiting to see what the vessels would do next. There were still many soldiers struggling and swimming in the middle of the ocean; some were only just surfacing after being hit by the tsunami, and quite a few didn't surface at all. The commander, it seemed, had sunk into the sea along with his armor and his pride, as he hadn't reappeared on the surface.
Leon carried his trident sideways on his shoulder, both hands resting on the shaft. Lucia carried her greatsword on her shoulder, her arm casually dangling from the hilt, while Livia shouldered one of her axes and rested the other upright on the ground. Although they kept watching the two galleon ships and were ready for anything, the three of them looked calm and unburdened.
Before long, "Leon, Lucia, Livia."
The three turned and looked around because they heard their names called. Lot Har, Kal Thor, Lut Tesh, and several village soldiers ran toward them. But just as they were about to get close, they suddenly all stopped. They saw the weapons Leon, Lucia, and Livia were holding. Lot Har stepped forward. He looked out at the soldiers still swimming or frantically trying not to drown in the sea, as well as the two galleon ships that seemed motionless without any crew on deck. After taking in the situation, Lot Har looked back at Leon, Lucia, and Livia. He immediately smiled, then knelt on one knee in front of the three of them.
Seeing Lot Har kneel, Kal Thor and the others instantly followed, all bowing their heads.
"Greetings, King and Queens. We have been waiting for you all," they said in unison.
"Hey… hey… stand up, Kal Thor… Lot Har," Leon said, stepping forward to help them both rise.
Suddenly, "DUM!" "SPLASSSSH!" A cannonball fired from one of the galleons struck the water near the shore, sending up a high splash. Leon immediately raised his spear to create a blue semi-circular protective dome that covered everyone to shield them in case the cannons fired again. After the spray disappeared,
"Your turn, Lucia," Leon said.
"Alright," Lucia replied.
Lucia turned and walked out of the protective dome, then raised her greatsword to the sky. Instantly, large clouds gathered above the two galleons offshore. "BLAAAR!" A massive bolt of lightning struck one of the galleons until it was destroyed, burning and sinking. Seeing one galleon ruined, the other ship immediately raised a white flag. This was all witnessed firsthand by Lot Har, Kal Thor, Lut Tesh, and all the other village soldiers. They all smiled, then stood up and raised their hands.
"We wooooon!" Kal Thor shouted.
"Uooooh… long live our King and Queens!" everyone yelled.
Mariana, Isabel, Eluisa, and Helen ran toward the three amidst the cheers of the village soldiers. It seemed they had just arrived and immediately witnessed what Leon and Lucia had done. Without further delay, Mariana immediately knelt on one knee, followed by Isabel, while Eluisa immediately jumped forward and hugged the three, who instantly hugged her back. Helen, watching this, smiled while wiping away her tears, her face full of gratitude.
After that, Kal Thor invited everyone back to the village, including Mariana and Isabel, after meeting them. As they entered the village gate, the villagers, who had been ready to defend and fight, immediately cheered for Leon, Lucia, and Livia, not only as their King and Queens but also as the heroes who had saved them. Then Kal Thor stood in the center of the village and raised his hands.
"Tonight we feast! Bring out everything! We welcome our King and Queens with everything we've got!" Kal Thor shouted, raising his hands.
"Uooooh!" The entire village immediately roared and then quickly got busy.
Leon, Lucia, and Livia, standing in the middle of the village square, glanced at one another.
"It's been a long time since it was like this," Leon muttered.
"Yep, you're right. Usually, we only celebrate like this after beating back the Hellion race," Lucia countered.
"But this time, our enemy is fellow humans. It's truly sad," Livia added.
"Not for much longer. Once we take over this Empire, everything will be peaceful," Leon replied.
"Yep, you're right, Leon," Livia agreed.
"After taking over the Empire, we'll settle our business with the Hellion race. We'll crush them to the source," Lucia added with enthusiasm.
"The gods are on our side. I'm sure of it," Leon added.
"That's right… tonight we party!" Livia yelled, raising both of her axes.
"Party!" Leon shouted, raising his trident spear, followed by Lucia, who raised her sword.
The atmosphere grew even louder and more festive. Lot Har watched from the side, with his arm around Eluisa, accompanied by a very proud Helen. Mariana was sobbing hard because her journey had paid off and she had managed to prove her vision, while Isabel tried to calm her down with a wide smile on her face. The villagers began pulling everything out, immediately decorating the village with energy and cheer, even dancing a little.
Kal Thor constantly directed the residents, and Lut Tesh, along with the other soldiers and hunters, helped the citizens carry equipment to the center of the square. The village musicians began setting up their instruments, then played a lively and cheerful rhythm.
Leon, Lucia, and Livia weren't idle either; although the villagers were reluctant to accept their help. After putting their weapons away, the three immediately helped the residents prepare for the party while dancing together.
***
The next day, in the village hall, Kal Thor and Lot Har invited Leon, Lucia, and Livia to a meeting with Mariana and Isabel. Mariana told Kal Thor and Lot Har everything. After that, the two men were silent for a moment, then Lot Har looked at Mariana seriously.
"Okay, so now you've found the three King and Queens from your vision. What's the next plan?" Lot Har asked.
"I have to pray to ask the gods for guidance at the Esvana Convent, wherever it may be," Mariana answered.
"Too bad. This is the Dark Continent; there is no Esvana Convent here. You have to cross back over to the Libelia continent," Lot Har replied, shrugging his shoulders.
"I see," Mariana muttered, looking down.
"How about we all go there together?" Leon suddenly asked.
Instantly, Lucia, Livia, Kal Thor, Lot Har, Mariana, and Isabel all turned to look at Leon as if he had grown the second heads.
"Was there something wrong with what I said?" Leon asked.
"It wasn't wrong, but if the three of you go with the two of them, the risk is too high. I know you are strong and can defeat one army with just the three of you, but still, you can't possibly fight an entire Empire," Lot Har answered.
"How about this, following your idea, Lot Har, we first unite all the tribes on the Dark Continent and form an army to cross into Libelia. If we add your mercenary troops, we will be strong," Kal Thor said, putting a hand on Lot Har's shoulder next to him.
"Hmm… that's true, but all that takes time. Mariana, when did your vision take place, do you know?" Lot Har asked.
"I… I don't know. That's why I have to pray for guidance from the gods," Mariana replied.
"Hmm… that's troublesome. We have no idea about the timing, plus the situation in the Empire is critical. Emperor Barrington's whereabouts are unknown," Lot Har said.
"Before we crossed here, we heard gossip in the port city of Hargar that the Emperor had died, but certain parties were covering it up," Isabel said.
"Is that true? But if you think about it, it makes sense. Emperor Barrington has no descendants. Clearly, one of the council members, or perhaps all of them, wants to seize his throne. The proof is that they sent two galleons here to find you; clearly, that wasn't the Emperor's command," Lot Har remarked.
"Their goal was to kill Mariana and Isabel after they found us, so they were also aiming to kill us," Leon replied.
"That's right. That's why we destroyed them yesterday," Livia added.
"We let one ship go so they could go back and tell whoever sent them here, and after they know that Mariana's vision is proven true, it's not impossible they will send even more troops," Lucia added.
"In that case, there is no other way. Lot Har, as the tribal chief, you should immediately go and meet with the Talakh, Iledh, and Karuth tribes—the three major tribes here. For the smaller tribes, I, as the village chief, will approach them," Kal Thor said.
"Alright, to convince them, I should bring Leon, the owner of the Trident of Cronus," Lot Har replied, looking at Leon.
"Okay, we should leave as soon as possible because we are racing against time. We don't know when Mariana's vision will happen," Leon replied.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Mariana said.
"Hey, just call me Leon. Right now, I haven't returned to being King," Leon said with a smile.
"Yep, that's right," Lucia and Livia added simultaneously.
Finally, the decision was made. They intended to gather strength first before crossing over to the central continent.