LSOV Chapter 01 — [R15]

001. The Three Kingdoms of the First Era

***

My homeland, the Kingdom of Lundra, was founded upon the sacrifice and protection of the dragon Lundra.

Long ago, dragons and humans lived together on this land. Dragons were beings who possessed near-infinite magical power and lived for time almost without end.

But one day, beings from another world crossed into ours. Their magic was finite, but they wielded it freely. Humans called them the Demon Clan.

The Demon Clan sought to swallow this land whole.

Thus began the war between dragons and demons, a long, evenly matched battle.

Dragons were stronger, but the Demon Clan outnumbered them by far. Both sides shed blood. Humans hid, praying only for peace to return to this land.

Eventually, the dragons decided to abandon the land. They could find countless other places similar to this one. There was no need for them to spill more blood.

Most of the dragons left.

However, Lundra was different.

Lundra loved this land. The night and day, the stars and the sun, the sky and the wind… The passing days and the changing seasons. Lundra loved all of it, and longed for none of it to be destroyed.

At last, Lundra unleashed a surge of magic.

A spell was cast over the land, one that ensured any being not originally born here would have their magic turn against them and die.

It was a powerful spell, one even the Demon Clan could not overcome. Rather than find a way around it, they abandoned their conquest and left.

But the spell was too powerful, so powerful that it demanded Lundra's eternal life in exchange.

And so, Lundra protected this land and came to be known as the last dragon of this world.

At Lundra's final moment, a human stood by the dragon's side.

Before Lundra exhaled their last breath, the human made a vow. They would rebuild the land, devastated by the aftermath of war, restore it to the beautiful place Lundra had cherished.

A single tear fell from the dragon. The moment it touched the ground, it hardened like a jewel.

The human held the dragon's tear to their chest and swore to establish a kingdom bearing Lundra's name. That human became Theseus I, the founder of the Kingdom of Lundra.

The dragon bestowed a blessing upon Theseus I.

You and your descendants shall flourish eternally under the name of Lundra.

Theseus I gathered comrades who shared his ideals. Three humans came together and founded three kingdoms, Lundra, Owen, and Roneis.

The Kingdom of Lundra was established in the northern region, where the dragon Lundra had once made their home. Owen was founded in the center, blessed with four distinct and gentle seasons. Roneis rose in the south, hot but rich in resources.

These are called "The Three Kingdoms of the First Era."

As promised, the land that Lundra loved became beautiful once again.

***

Everything up to this point is the founding myth of the Three Kingdoms of the First Era, a story every person of this land knows.

But times have changed. The three founders who devoted themselves to rebuilding this land have long become legends from over five thousand years ago.

As history flowed, new nations appeared and disappeared. Even the relationships between the three nations that still stand strong have changed from what they once were.

Despite the five thousand years that have passed, the existence of the three nations has remained unshaken.

Upon the most beautiful land stands Lundra, the kingdom of mages.

Upon the strongest land stands Owen, the kingdom of knights.

Upon the most advanced land stands Roneis, the kingdom of scholars.

When the three kingdoms were first founded, it's said they were like brothers.

They helped each other, supported one another, shared what they had, and walked forward together. They spoke the same language, shared the same culture.

But now, one of those kingdoms has become an empire.

The Conqueror King, first emperor of the Owen Empire, expanded its territory through war, subduing countless nations.

The war didn't last long, yet it changed many things.

The three kingdoms became one empire and two kingdoms.

Even though peace eventually returned and several hundred years passed, the borders had already deepened, and the walls had grown tall.

And now, standing before me, the red-haired woman calmly claimed that she was the princess of that one and only empire.

The red-haired imperial princess of Owen, Rachel Widnes, smiled, her eyes narrowing.

Her already sharp eyes and lips curved even more sharply. It was exactly as I remembered her. 

Still with that mischievous smile.

Someone I had known for years… turns out she was actually from a foreign empire all along.

***

I first met Rachel ten years ago.

It was the day my second-oldest brother, Daimond, returned home from the academy for vacation.

A few days before his arrival, Daimond had sent a letter saying he would come home with some friends.

Even I, who rarely went outside, knew that Daimond and his friends were the kingdom's infamous troublemakers.

On the day of his break, I met all five of them, Daimond, my brother; a stunningly beautiful older girl; a terrifying-looking older boy; an older boy even prettier than the pretty girl; and lastly, the fearsome curly-haired Rachel.

Yes, Rachel was my brother Daimond's academy friend.

I already knew a few of Daimond's friends, but Rachel was one I had never met before.

"Hi! Nice to meet you. You're Daisy, right? Aww, you're adorable!"

The moment she saw me, Rachel spoke casually and comfortably. It wasn't rude; it felt friendly, and left a strong impression.

Rachel introduced herself as the second daughter of the Viscount Rich family. With her mischievous smile, she took my hand in hers.

Rachel's hand was warm. I think I didn't want her to let go.

While they stayed with us, the once-quiet house was lively and noisy every day.

Just as the rumors said, they carried trouble wherever they went. Well, according to adults, it was "trouble." To me, it was adventure.

Exploring unused guestrooms, sneaking up the back mountain and being found late at night, casting strange magic in the basement, things like that.

One night, as I was crossing the garden late, I heard voices.

I knew there was almost never anyone in the garden at that hour. Naturally, I turned toward the sound.

It was Rachel and Daimond. They hadn't noticed me. I crouched behind the rose bushes. I just felt like, if it was them, something interesting had to be happening.

Rachel burst into laughter, hitting Daimond's back a couple of times as she laughed. As expected, they were talking about something very funny.

Daimond scratched the back of his head, then leaned closer to Rachel and said something.

Rachel quickly stepped one pace away from him. Daimond glanced around.

I crouched even lower. Daimond leaned toward Rachel again and grabbed her arm.

They spoke in low voices and were standing too far for me to hear their conversation.

Rachel smiled softly, then hugged Daimond. After that, she left first. I saw Daimond left behind, rubbing his face roughly with one hand.

Just then, my skirt brushed against a rose thorn and snagged. The rustling sound gave me away.

Daimond practically jumped like a startled cat. Spotting me, he marched toward me at a terrifying speed.

"Daisy! How long were you there?!"

"Mm? Since Rachel started laughing?"

"Hah, she always laughs. I mean, when exactly?!"

Daimond stepped even closer. The magic lantern cast its light over his face. His face was as red as an apple.

"I saw Rachel hugging you."

The moment I finished speaking, Daimond's face turned redder than a plum.

Was he feverish?

Whenever Daimond got sick, the entire house would fall into chaos.

I hoped it wasn't a fever.

"Brother, are you sick?"

When I stepped forward to feel Daimond's forehead, he quickly backed away.

"You can't tell anyone you saw me here today."

"Why?"

Truthfully, I had no intention of telling anyone. Unlike Daimond, I didn't have friends my age to talk to anyway.

"If you don't tell anyone, I'll grant you one special wish."

"Wow! Really?"

I clapped my hands.

Looking back now, Daimond never once granted me a wish. Whenever I asked for something under the name of a "special wish," he always said it wasn't special enough.

Still, I kept that secret faithfully until now.

When I was younger, I believed Daimond would someday fulfill that special wish.

And in more recent years… I quietly suspected that what I saw back then was Daimond getting rejected by Rachel. I wanted to protect teenage Daimond's pride.

And now, in the present, now that I know Rachel is the imperial princess of Owen.

Realizing that I had kept Daimond's secret turned out to be a very good thing. Otherwise, rumors might have spread that the second prince of our kingdom confessed to the empire's princess and was rejected.

Because my second-oldest brother, Daimond—Daimond Lund—is the second prince of the Kingdom of Lundra. And I am Daisy Lund, the youngest princess.

The imperial princess, Rachel Widnes, opened her mouth. The words she spoke next would change my future.