Master of the Deep

After dealing with goblins around him. Lancel, started to make his way towards Zalsac. He began carving messages in the trees along the way. Messages telling Lucius and the others about his discovery and suspicions. Telling them to stop and return to the Ancient City if they deemed the journey home dangerous.

As Lancel carved the last of the message, he began using his beyond mortal capabilities to deal with the goblins along the way.

Perhaps because of the goblin move towards the West, all the monsters and beast vacated the area, only the goblins remained. 

From this point on, Lancel began his lone journey back home.

___________________________________

A week after Delita's visit

Central Region, Order of the Three Seas Dominion

Various Locations

"Hiyaaaaa!" *Puchi*

Lances pierced men wearing noble sigils. As mounted men adorned with the Order's armor readied for another charge. 

The companions of pierced infantrymen threw the small axes on their hips. The mounts of the mounted men were shot and began to fall face first towards the ground. 

The soldiers wearing noble sigils took the opportunity to stab the fallen men with their spears. 

As soldiers wearing the crusaders armor charged, the soldiers with noble sigils in their armor. A hand-to-hand battle took place. 

Swords slashing the weak joints of the armor. Maces bashing hard pleated armor. Spears piercing through the gaps of the armor.

Men wrestled in the ground as both armed with daggers in their hands, waiting to stab each other on their armor's openings.

Arrows hitting crossbowmen, and bolts hitting bowmen.

Crusader Knights and Mounted Noble Knights smashed onto one another, their lances pierces each other. 

Fighting is going on all over the central region of the Order. 

Casualties rose to unknown proportions.

The once-ever peaceful Central Region of the Order is now full fighting.

Castles burn as churches were pillaged. The innocents were implicated as they fell in the hands of both the Order and the Nobility. 

Chaos! The land of the Order of the Three Seas is now engulfed in Chaos. 

_______________________________________

Saint Gerald Castle

Prewell's Study

Prewell sighed, before him a letter of correspondence with his relatives across the Andal Mountains. 

His father, Lord Arguile Ih Leviathan, married a noble woman from the Lyzanese Empire. Their story, a bitter-sweet one. 

Lady Anastasia Florence, the daughter of the Imperial Duke Javier Florence. 

To escape an engagement arranged by his grandfather, his mother trudges through the Andal Mountains. Reaching the territory of House Zagbaal, from there she wandered across the North West territory of the Order.

Taking the Great Forest as her abode. Using magic, she was able to maneuver over the maze like Forest with ease. That's until she reached the Ancient City, in there she broke the barrier covering the once grand settlement. 

Using one of the towers in the Ancient City as her Mages Tower, in there she delved deeper in the arts of magic. That is, until she came across his injured father. At that time, his father was still a young baron. Similar to Prewell he took control of Zalsac at a young age.

Henceforth, out of responsibility for his people, he led young Ecish, the Ogre Slayer and his men on a quest to clear up the monsters who took the outer edges of the forest as their nest.

His father, injured from the fighting, was separated from his companions. While lost in the forest, he stumbled upon a fair maiden as she knelt across a field of white. 

Amongst the field of white Cecilia, her beauty was magnified. Pure and white, her platinum hair and crimson eyes captivated the young Arguile. As she makes his way towards the fair maiden, he stumbled and passed out.

Lady Anastasia, then found baron Arguile. Perhaps out of pity for the young baron as he covered in wounds.

She nursed him to health and his father, after he woke up, smitten by his mother, proceeds to court her. 

Surprisingly, it worked and that's how their short life as Lord and Lady Ih Leviathan began. Living happily in Zalsac as a couple, they were soon blessed with a healthy child, that child's name was Prewell. Just as their life was about to continue with a new addition to their life, his mother was discovered.

After Prewell's birth, his mother was discovered by his grandfather's men and was forcibly brought back to the empire.

His father, unable to do anything but watch as Knights riding Hippogriffs accompanied by his mother's brother took her back into the Empire.

Until to this day, his mother still locks herself in her mage's tower in Ranada. The South-Western most point of the Empire. 

Not being able to see his father at his last moments… 

_____________________________________

"…" Prewell's hand paused, unable to write anything regarding the message contained in the letter from the Empire. 

It appears that the trouble in the Order will not be resolved easily. Trouble is brewing and chaos is coming. No, according to the letter, chaos has already arrived.

Focusing his eyes on the words in the letter. The beautiful penmanship written in the letter is someone only of true noble origin can write. 

He began to read the contents of the letter one more time to check if he missed anything.

________________________________________

'Dear Cousin,

How have you been as of late? Forgive me for taking a long time to respond to your missive. A lot has happened in the Empire since our last correspondence. One of those things will affect you one way or another.

I write this letter in hopes that you will agree with what I am about to propose to you. 

My dearest cousin Prewell, though house Florence wronged you and your late father Lord Arguile. House Florence hopes to make amends with you, and I, personally, hope that you have a place in your heart to forgive us.

Cousin, the Empire will attack the Order within the next year or two. No specific date of attack was disclosed, but I wish that you do not take the side of the Order. 

The Empire will mobilize all available Military Power North of the Andal Mountains, this time to push off the Order from the Eldore Coast to the Beria Coast. 

House Florence will vouch for House Ih Leviathan in the Imperial Council. 

The Empire watches the Order closely, cousin. The central region of the Order is in a state of civil war. The remote Eastern nobles of the Order openly declared its rebellion. Whilst the West stays silent, it's only a matter of time before fighting takes place West.

By the time the invasion began, I will lead house Florence flying legion in the Invasion of the Empire.

I wish for you to join me. I know that your heart does not lay in the Order neither in the Empire. It lies in your lands, I do not hope for you to be loyal to the Empire. I merely hope that you will take the chance to abandon the Order and join me in the Empire. 

Your territory lies south of Zalbaag, and Zalbaag lies south of the Andal Mountains. If the Empire is able to take control of Zalbaag we will use House Florence's achievements in this war to ask the council to grant Zalbaag to you. 

If you are able to take control of the barony of Zalbaag. We will be neighbors, only separated by the Andal Mountains. 

Through there, we can begin by finding passages that will connect our two houses. House Florence hopes to make amends with you, cousin. No, I hope to make amends with you as kins.

In the future, I hope that we will once again meet in person. 

This is all that I hope to tell you. I wish you the best, my cousin.

-Your Cousin

Olivia Florence, Daughter of House Florence'

______________________________________

'Cousin Olivia.' While murmuring the name in the letter, a gallant lady in a Hippogriff appeared in his mind. 

Other than his mother, Olivia is the only person he considered as relative. 

She was the only person from House Florence to attend his father's funeral. She also taught him some things about how to run the territory. 

In spite of the short time together, she did cater to his needs. Treating him as her younger brother. Although anonymous at the time, she and Ecish helped him through the most difficult time of his life.

Perhaps like how his mother pitied his late father. Olivia also pitied Prewell's situation. 

After all, a boy who grew up without his mother's care, all because of her house meddling. Soon turned into an orphan at the age of 15. Inheriting a territory in perhaps the most monster ridden part of the Order. 

Alone without any relatives to call for support. How can her heart, which was already filled with guilt at the knowledge of what her house did to her young blood kin's family. Bear to not pity him, she did what she could in the short span of time together.

She gave a motherly care that Prewell did not receive in this life. Something that Prewell is grateful for.

But… 

To suddenly rebel against the Order.

Hesitating, he put down his quill pen. Undecided at the moment, he plans to ask for his men's counsel.