Overture

"Whoa, Leti is so attached to Lyra, it's as if she's Lyra's little sister!"


Meanwhile, during all the sobs, Cyan and Cassie were standing just before the room, observing the situation while waiting for the right time to step in. They were waiting for Lyra to come out after telling her to tidy up and say goodbye.


"Well, she is so different from Luca when he was her age. Seems like Leti is born without [Insight]?"


While the pampering Dad, Cyan, commented on such an adorable scene with heartfelt opinion, Cassie commented it based on her logical observation instead.


"Mmhm, perhaps she doesn't inherit it at all, or she has it but her [Insight] power might be weak... Well, we won't know at this point," Cyan quickly switched off his doting parent mode and replied calmly.


"It's good that Leti is like this, then. King Titus and Queen Shaula—especially Queen Shaula will get to experience Leti's adorable childishness," Cassie finally made a comment based on feelings.


"Yeah. It's good for Titus, I finally get to see his troubled face now and then, when he's facing Leti, haha!"


...Cyan is definitely Titus' best friend, alright?


"Luca is so similar to Titus in personality—or so I think, that Titus doesn't really have any difficulty when facing him—with the exception of when Luca was on bad term with Leti," Cyan then added.


"Well, Leti is adorable, alright," Cassie also couldn't help but feel that way. She even took some sneaky moves to gently pinch Leti's cheeks when she got the chance to.


"Lyra's the most adorable, though," Cyan made his typical comment.


"...Oh you."


"Or could it be that you want a baby?" Cyan decided that it was time to tease Cassie.


"Oh, shuddup! It's easy for you to say, since you don't have to go through with the pregnancy and giving birth!"


"Haha, well, yeah, sorry, sorry..."


***


Though the warm and heartfelt situation like what Lyra experienced with Leti was certainly happening in the other households, it still couldn't erase the fact that Naraka and Cielle were ready to face each other in battles—and that they might come to strengthen their territories by trying to reclaim the parts of Riviera that were once their faction's territories.


Riviera was always there to ensure the balance and peace between Naraka and Cielle. The humans had learned the hard way that if such a balance wasn't maintained, their livelihood would be compromised. The fact that Riviera was located in the middle of Naraka and Cielle also contributed.


Therefore, Riviera appointed their soldiers to the battlefield...


"Daddy is going to battle the baddies?"


A child's clear voice could be heard in a small house as the young girl's emerald eyes looked at the figure of a gallant man in front of her.


"Yup, that's right. The country needs Daddy to fight away the baddies, in order to make sure little Fiona and her beloved Mommy to be safe and happy, too," the man swept away his long silky blonde hair as he crouched down so that his light blue eyes could meet with the girl's eyes. When he did so, he also exposed his long and pointy ears.


"Dear..."


A slender woman with the same light green hair as the little girl approached the father and daughter figures as she coughed.


"Don't worry, Honey, I'm going to be back soon. Fiona, be a good girl and take care of your Mommy, okay?"


"Dear, please be careful... Cough!"


As the fragile woman continued to cough, the gallant man stood up and supported her.


"You don't have to be so anxious, Honey. Just focus on resting and get well soon. I promise I will be back safe and sound."


"Yes... sorry, if only I wasn't sick..."


"Shuush... nothing can be done about it, Honey. It's fine. You'll be fine."


"Mommy, Mommy, take a rest! Daddy will definitely beat up the bad guys for us! He is a hero, remember?" The little girl clung to her mother's skirt as she tried to calm her mother down.


"Mmhm, see? Even Fiona knows it."


"Cough... then, let me help you with any preparation that I can help..."


"Don't overdo it."


"Oh, let Fiona help, too!!"


Even if the war or skirmish between Naraka and Cielle didn't affect most of the citizens, the ones who would experience the effects of it were the soldiers and their families.


For the families, they couldn't help but get worried for their beloved ones. But to the young half-elf Fiona, her Daddy's figure was a hero's. A hero that she was proud of. In her mind, there was no anxiety at all. She was so confident of her hero father.


Sometimes, the unwavering trust from a child like her turns out to be the biggest encouragement an adult can get.


***


"Don't worry, Your Majesty. Rest assured that I shan't relinquish this chance."


A figure of an alluring woman knelt down before the throne, before the figure of the fierce man sitting on the throne. As she knelt, her dazzling long black hair touched the floor—the red tips of her hair contrasted to the brown floor.


"Hmph. Very well," the man replied curtly.


Afterwards, the woman withdrew herself as she walked back to the inner chamber—to her own room.


"...I'll definitely prove it to you that I'm the most worthy!!"


The calm face that she had back then disappeared the moment she closed the door. However, her arrogance remained even as she hit the table as if to declare her determination.


Though wars and skirmishes were largely known by their bigger purpose, this didn't mean that there was no hidden ulterior, personal motive that one might carry inside their heart.


"Ah..."


A girl's voice could be heard as the figure of a young maid looked anxiously to the arrogant woman—to her master.


"Ah, did I surprise you? I was finally entrusted with the [General] position, and I will definitely rise from now on!"


"Mm...," the maid looked at her master's arrogant and confident expression, so she also smiled in the end.


***


A spectre of light traveled across the area before it manifested into the figure of a child, helplessly sighing.


"Destiny has begun to move... I've placed the necessary pawns in their positions... I hope the stars can shine brighter in this future destiny."


Fate is such a mysterious thing that nobody really knows of.


In the future, the coincidences happening will eventually form the inevitable fate.


Still, nobody has yet to realize it at this moment...


It is still long before they finally realize it.

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