The restoration of the Old Border continued.
The ruined walls of Ismal were slowly returning to their former glory. Stone by stone, tower by tower, the soldiers and engineers rebuilt what the Demons had destroyed.
But the army had no intention of simply waiting behind those walls.
They had spent years defending.
Now, for the first time, they had the opportunity to attack.
The commanders had learned an important lesson from the previous battles.
If they waited for the Demons to come to them, they would eventually lose everything again.
This time, they would be the ones advancing.
The New Frontier
A portion of the army remained at Ismal.
Their duties were divided between reconstruction and defense.
The engineers worked throughout the day, rebuilding the walls and reinforcing the fortifications. Dwarven craftsmen installed new Mana Circuits into the defensive towers, while human soldiers guarded the construction teams.
The rest of the army was assigned to secure the newly discovered lake.
The lake had become strategically important.
It was enormous.
Its waters stretched deep into the forest, reaching areas that could not be easily accessed by land.
If the army wanted to continue advancing, they would eventually need to cross it.
And so, construction began.
Large machines arrived from Tecka.
Dwarven engineers brought heavy equipment.
Workers constructed platforms along the shore.
New defensive cannons were assembled.
And a large military vessel was transported in pieces and assembled beside the lake.
The ship would eventually allow soldiers, weapons, and supplies to cross the enormous body of water.
The newly reclaimed territory was slowly becoming a military staging ground.
The Twin Mountains had been the first step.
Ismal was the second.
And the lake would become the gateway to whatever lay beyond.
A Temporary Farewell
With the situation stabilizing, Lucian was finally ordered away from the frontline.
He didn't like the order.
Not even slightly.
"I can still fight."
Max laughed when he heard him.
"That's precisely why you're being sent back."
Lucian frowned.
"I don't understand."
"You've been fighting for months without proper rest."
Max crossed his arms.
"You aren't the only soldier in this army."
Lucian looked toward the reconstructed walls.
"I just don't want to leave."
"I know."
Max smiled.
"But you're not the only commander anymore."
Two young figures stood nearby.
Kae and May.
They were Max's children and Lucian's cousins.
Neither had much battlefield experience.
But both had inherited their father's strength.
Max had returned from his own mission and had decided to personally train them.
"They'll take your position," Max said.
Lucian looked at them.
Kae gave him a confident smile.
May simply nodded.
"You two better not get yourselves killed."
Kae laughed.
"We're stronger than you think."
May added,
"A...and Father won't let us die."
Max smiled.
"I'll make sure they learn."
Lucian sighed.
He had no choice.
After months at the frontier, he finally left the Border.
The Golden Prince Returns
The journey back to the capital felt strangely peaceful.
For months, Lucian had heard nothing but the sounds of battle.
The clang of weapons.
The roar of Demonic Beasts.
The thunder of Light Cannons.
Now he heard music.
When the train finally entered the capital, Lucian saw something he had almost forgotten.
People were smiling.
The streets were decorated.
Citizens gathered along the roads.
Some carried banners.
Others simply wanted to see him.
"The Sun Prince!"
"The hero of the Border!"
"Welcome home!"
Lucian stood awkwardly as the crowd cheered.
He had never been comfortable with attention.
On the battlefield, people had depended on him.
That was different.
Here, they were celebrating him.
King Mark personally welcomed him.
"My nephew," Mark said proudly.
He placed a hand on Lucian's shoulder.
"You've done more for this kingdom than most men accomplish in their entire lives."
Lucian lowered his head.
"I only did what was necessary."
Mark laughed.
"And that humility is exactly why they admire you."
The celebrations continued.
But Lucian soon discovered that being a hero came with an unexpected problem.
Invitations.
Hundreds of them.
Banquets.
Tea parties.
Political gatherings.
Noble families.
And, most frequently...
Marriage invitations disguised as social gatherings.
Lucian stared at the enormous pile of letters.
"What am I supposed to do with all of these?"
His attendant remained silent.
Lucian sighed.
"I'd rather fight another Demon."
Mother and Son
Eventually, Lucian met Irwin.
His mother had not changed.
Even after everything that had happened, she still carried the same commanding presence.
She looked at her son for several seconds.
"My son has grown."
Lucian smiled.
"So you finally noticed?"
Irwin's expression softened slightly.
"You were a child when you left."
"And now?"
"Now you're troublesome."
Lucian laughed.
Their conversation was short.
Neither was particularly skilled at expressing what they felt.
They had spent too much of their lives separated by duties.
Irwin had her responsibilities.
Lucian had the war.
But there was a quiet understanding between them.
Before Lucian left, Irwin spoke.
"You might want to visit the library."
Lucian stopped.
"The library?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Irwin didn't answer.
She simply returned to her work.
Lucian stared at her for a moment.
Then shrugged.
"Fine."
The Royal Library
It had been a long time since Lucian had read a book simply because he wanted to.
The Royal Library was enormous.
Shelves stretched across several floors.
History.
Magic.
Alchemy.
Military strategy.
Adventures.
Stories.
Lucian walked through the aisles.
He eventually stopped at a shelf marked Recent Additions.
After searching for some time, one particular book caught his attention.
It was the final volume of a long-running novel he had once read as a child.
He smiled.
"Still going?"
He reached for it.
His fingers touched the spine.
Then—
Someone pulled from the other side.
Lucian frowned.
He pulled back.
The person on the other side pulled harder.
"Hey..."
Lucian tugged.
The book suddenly came free.
He stumbled backward.
"Got it!"
Then he heard a voice.
"Ow!"
Lucian froze.
He slowly walked around the shelf.
A young woman sat on the floor.
Her head had apparently collided with the bookshelf.
She looked furious.
Then she looked up.
Lucian's mind stopped.
Clara.
Their eyes met.
Neither spoke.
Lucian stared.
Clara stared back.
Her expression contained several emotions at once.
Anger.
Embarrassment.
Surprise.
And beneath all of them...
Happiness.
Lucian immediately felt terrible.
"I..."
He lowered his head.
"I'm sorry."
Clara rubbed the back of her head.
"You really are an idiot."
Lucian offered his hand.
"Are you hurt?"
She looked at his hand.
Then took it.
"I'm fine."
He helped her stand.
Their hands remained together for a moment longer than necessary.
Both noticed.
Both immediately looked away.
Clara cleared her throat.
"So..."
She looked at the book.
"You like that series?"
Lucian nodded.
"I read the first few volumes years ago."
"I've read all of them."
"Really?"
"Of course."
And just like that, the awkwardness disappeared.
They began talking.
About the novel.
Then other novels.
Then history.
Then the stories they had read as children.
Lucian realized something.
He had forgotten how peaceful it was to simply talk.
No battlefield.
No commanders.
No Demons.
No orders.
Just Clara.
Time passed without either of them noticing.
Eventually—
Dong...
The night bell rang.
Both looked toward the clock.
"It is that late?"
Clara laughed.
"We've been talking for hours."
Lucian stood.
"I'll walk you to your dorm."
Clara hesitated.
Then smiled.
"All right."
Another Victory
The corridors outside the library were quiet.
They walked side by side.
Neither spoke much.
But neither wanted the journey to end.
Eventually, they reached Clara's dormitory.
She turned toward him.
"Thank you."
Lucian nodded.
"Good night."
"Good night, Lucian."
She turned to leave.
Lucian watched her take a few steps.
Then something inside him moved before his mind could stop it.
"Clara."
She turned.
Lucian stepped forward.
He gently pulled her into a hug.
Clara froze.
Her face immediately turned red.
Lucian's heart nearly exploded.
"I..."
He had no idea what he was doing anymore.
"Good night."
Clara slowly nodded.
"Good night."
She hurried into the dormitory.
Lucian remained outside.
The moment she disappeared from sight, he covered his face.
"What did I just do?"
His cheeks were burning.
He looked toward the ceiling.
"I fought Demons."
He shook his head.
"Why is this harder?"
Yet somewhere inside him, he knew.
That night, he had won another kind of battle.
The following day, Lucian returned.
Then the day after.
And again.
Whenever Clara was free, he found some reason to visit her.
Sometimes they walked through the palace gardens.
Sometimes they visited the library.
Sometimes they simply talked.
And every evening, Lucian stood outside her dormitory.
"Good night."
"Good night."
A simple routine.
But one that Lucian treasured.
For the first time in years, his life contained something other than war.
Peace at Tecka
Far away, in the territory of Tecka, Irene experienced a similar kind of peace.
William lay quietly in bed.
Irene sat beside him.
She gently brushed his hair away from his forehead.
"Good night, William."
William smiled sleepily.
"Good night..."
Fina curled herself near his feet.
Irene began singing a quiet lullaby.
The little boy slowly fell asleep.
Once she was certain he was asleep, Irene left the room.
She walked toward her study.
There was still work waiting.
Reports.
Agricultural records.
Trade requests.
Military documents.
Engineering proposals.
As the Lady of Tecka, she could never truly escape responsibility.
She sat at her desk.
Then her eyes fell upon an old photograph.
Henry.
He was covered in dust.
His clothes were stained with grease.
His hair was disheveled.
He was smiling proudly beside one of his inventions.
Irene picked up the photograph.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"You never knew when to stop working."
She pressed the photograph against her chest.
For a moment, the room was silent.
Then she sighed.
The memory of Henry still hurt.
But it no longer felt like an open wound.
It had become something she carried with her.
Something precious.
Something that reminded her why she continued moving forward.
Good News from Ismal
A week passed.
Then a message arrived from the Border.
Kae and May had settled into their positions surprisingly well.
The soldiers had quickly grown fond of them.
Their lack of experience was compensated for by their enthusiasm.
And their strength had surprised even veteran soldiers.
Several Demonic Beasts still remained in the surrounding territories.
Kae and May had personally participated in clearing them.
There had been no major attacks.
No Demons had appeared.
No mysterious disturbances had been reported.
The reconstruction continued.
The lake was being secured.
The defensive cannons were being installed.
Everything was proceeding smoothly.
For once...
Everything seemed peaceful.
Perhaps the war really was entering its final stage.
Perhaps the Demons had truly retreated.
Perhaps the strange silence beyond Ismal meant nothing.
Perhaps Rio was gone.
Perhaps the unknown threat that had frightened him had disappeared.
The kingdoms began to believe that peace was finally within reach.
But peace can be deceptive.
Sometimes, the quietest moments are the ones that come immediately before disaster.